Comeback
by kokkilamb01
Summary: She was the weakling. She was the burden. Or so they thought. They haven't actually realised how strong she really was. And she was making a comeback to prove it.
1. Chapter 1

-Naruto is something I don't own. (Sadly)-

**Comeback**

Summary: She was the weakling. She was the burden. Or so they thought. They haven't actually realised how strong she really was. And she was making a comeback to prove it.

Chapter 1: Welcome Back

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"_The _**stupid **_neither __forgive __nor __forget; __the_naive _forgive __and __forget; __the _wise _forgive __but __do __not __forget.__"_

_-Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (1973) "Personal Conduct"_

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Sakura sighed as she watched another group of ninjas being dragged into her office in the hospital. The injured men had come one by one, each being severely injured. She could see a few familiar faces as she ordered the nurses to lay the patients in the separate beds for her to examine them.

Sakura walked over to the bed nearest to her and instantly recognised his face. His pale eyes were closed and his long brown hair was in disarray, sticking to his perspiring neck. His beautiful features were contorted in pain.

"Neji, what happened?" Sakura questioned as she started to let her chakra flow to her hands and glow a mint green. She slowly pushed her chakra into his body and started to examine the damage he had done. Careful not to cause anymore pain, she started to close the gaping hole in his stomach, knitting the muscles and veins back together. She leaked a little extra chakra into his body to numb the pain and slow down his breathing rate, efficiently calming him down.

He cracked an eye open and saw the pinkette's eyes closed in concentration. "We were ambushed by rouge ninjas," he croaked out, his throat was dry.

She opened her eyes at the sound of his voice and turned to look at him, a small smile gracing her full lips. She lifted her hands from his abdomen, "I've healed the damage and stopped the bleeding. You'll have to stay in the hospital for at least another day for me to make sure there's nothing wrong." A nurse was already in the midst of healing his other less serious injuries. Sakura scribbled some notes before moving on to the next person that was coughing a serious amount of blood.

Hyuga Neji had successfully become an ANBU Captain right after he had passed the Jounin examinations a few months back. He had grown taller and much stronger throughout the years with the help of his Team. Nothing seemed to be too difficult for the Hyuga to accomplish. He was also a very good sparring partner. Over the years, she had gotten closer to the Hyuga, forming a sort of mutual bond. If she wasn't busy in the hospital she was usually sparring with Team Gai.

Of course, she should have been training with her own Team Seven. But they were long gone, leaving her in Konoha. She had been hurt. Never once did she ever think that her whole team would leave her behind in their quest to bring back Sasuke.

_We __don__'__t __want __you __to __get __hurt._ **You****'****re ****a ****burden.**

_You__'__re __skills __are __much __more __needed __here __in __Konoha. _**You****'****ll ****only ****get ****in ****our ****way.**

These words were burned to the back of her mind, always reminding her to get stronger and to improve. Damn them if they think she was just going to sit down and wait. No more was she the little weak girl they left behind. No more was she the one that was going to be protected as she watched their backs.

But her Team had been gone for almost two whole years. She had received no news and she felt abandoned. That only served to fuel her determination to grow stronger and to even surpass their abilities. Sakura was going to make sure that she was going to drill into the thick heads of all her boys that if they ever were to underestimate her, she would not go easy on them. Hell, she was going to beat them to a bloody pulp and then heal them only to repeat the whole process again. Besides, there was nothing she did that she couldn't fix.

"Sakura-sama?"

Sakura blinked and noticed that she was in the middle of the room; her pen had been broken into pieces in her tight grasps. She blinked again as she stared in confusion at the person who called her. The nurse looked warily at the broken pen in her hand and the ink that was starting to drip. She smiled sheepishly as she threw the pieces of the pen and picked up a piece of tissue to dry her dyed palms and fingertips.

"Sakura-sama, the Hokage would like to see you now," the nurse said a small grin on her face.

She nodded and reminded the nurses in the room to take care of her patients while she was gone. They bowed respectfully before she left the room to remove her white coat and leave the cool comfort of the hospital, heading towards the Hokage tower.

_Tsunade-shishou __probably __needs __me __to __help __complete __more __of __her __paperwork._ She thought to herself as she sprinted towards the all familiar Hokage tower, the wind in her luscious pink tresses.

Little did she know of the surprise that was in store for her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsunade took a large swig of her sake as she felt the familiar chakra signature from the other side of the door. She let the liquid burn down her throat as the person knocked on her door. She sighed, "Enter."

The head of her apprentice/daughter poked into her room, a smile on her face.

"Shishou, you called for me?" She asked politely, entering the Hokage's office. Sakura frown sympathetically at her Shishou when she noticed that her office was decorated with bottles of sake and piles of never ending paperwork. She also noted that her Shishou had a very troubled look upon her features.

Tsunade's amber eyes studied her prized apprentice. She had become much stronger over the years. She had already successfully become the Head Medic, taking Tsunade's place. And she had only reached the age of twenty.

"Sakura, I think you need to sit down," Tsunade took another gulp from her sake.

"What's wrong, Shishou?" She obediently sat on the seat opposite of Tsunade and looked questioningly at her.

"They're coming back."

Those three simple words hit Sakura like a bucket of ice on her head. Her mind instantly blanked out, her viridian eyes growing large.

Tsunade took note of Sakura's shock and continued, "They are being escorted to Konoha this very moment by a group of ANBU. They should be arriving at the gates soon."

"Did they bring _him_ back?"

Tsunade knew whom she was implying and nodded. "They would no doubt be in a complete wreck once they arrive. Kakashi and Yamato would fill us in on the details later."

Sakura was unsure how she was supposed to feel. Relief? Happiness?

Sakura stood up from the chair, her pink bangs covering her eyes, "I'll go and prepare the medical equipment for their arrival."

Tsunade watched as Sakura walked towards the doors, "Have you forgiven them?"

"Yes. Long ago," she turned to smile sadly at her Shishou, "But it still hurts."

With that she closed the doors.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Okay! I haven't really put in Sakura's epic-ness yet. That would be the next chapter! Muahahaha! xD Don't worry, Sakura isn't going to be all doom and gloom! **

**Please read and review! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

-Nope. I still don't own Naruto-

**Comeback**

Chapter 2: Team 7 Reunion

**Thank you to all who subscribed, favorited and reviewed~!**

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_Where __we _**love **_is __home, __home __that __our __feet __may _leave_, __but __not __our _hearts_.  
>-Oliver <em>_Wendell __Holmes, __Sr., Homesick __in __Heaven_

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_Troublesome,_ he thought to himself as he leapt from one branch to another. Shikamaru had the obnoxious blonde's arm slung around his neck, "Can the rest of you catch up?" He turned his head slightly, Yamato, Kakashi and Sai were panting heavily. It didn't take long for Shikamaru to figure out that all three of their chakra was close to depleted from travelling non-stop for the past few days to reach Konoha. Out of the five of them that his ANBU squad were told to escort, two were unconscious, their chakra signatures barely noticeable. Naruto being one of them.

Shikamaru looked down at the blonde he was carrying, he was bleeding heavily and his ragged breathing only proved to him that Naruto was in critical condition. Knowing the idiot, he would have battled the Uchiha brat to the point of exhaustion. He was unsure who had appeared as the victor since the Uchiha brat too was suffering from serious injuries.

Sasuke was being carried by two of his ANBU squad members for extra precautions. Even if he knew that the Uchiha wouldn't be able to run let alone stand due to his lack of chakra. Like the blonde, he too was bleeding profusely.

Shikamaru noticed that they were nearing their destination when he was able to recognise the Konoha gates through his thick porcelain mask.

Once he arrived, Yamanaka Ino was already at the gates with a small group of medical ninja. She was clad in her usual purple attire and a white coat. She nodded briefly at him, as he passed the unconscious blonde to a nearby medical ninja. Ino place Yamato's arm around her shoulder and placed a glowing hand on his chest. Yamato smiled weakly, as Ino reprimanded him in a stern voice. She turned her head and barked at the medical ninja, "Quickly carry these men to the hospital!"

Shikamaru closed his eyes; the woman was still as loud as ever.

As quickly as they arrived, his ANBU squad dispersed. Shikamaru sighed as he started to make his way towards the Hokage tower to report to the Godaime.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kakashi sat on the hospital bed. Despite his mask, he could still smell the sickly hospital smell he hated. The hospital reeked of antibiotics and death. He hated the hospital and wanted to get out as soon as he could. Kakashi's left arm was being bandaged by Ino. He silently wondered how his two important students were faring. The two of them had engaged in battle right after all four of them had defeated Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. Kisame had managed to flee in the last minute leaving his partner to die in the hands of his younger brother. Of course, both his students had started to attack each other in the heat of the battle.

"Don't worry; they're being treated by her now. They're in good hands," Ino said cheerfully.

Kakashi blinked in surprise at how his thoughts were easily read. He was starting to get old. He smiled underneath his mask at the platinum blonde. Kakashi simply took the 'her' as Tsunade knowing full well that only the Slug Princess could completely heal his students' injuries. During their battle, they had gone all out and used their special attacks on each other. That would not doubt cause a lot of extensive damage that would require someone experienced to heal.

As much as he wanted to check on his students, he could feel his eyelids start to get heavy. And not long after that, he fell asleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

***~Two Days Later~***

Sasuke cracked one of his eyes open when he detected foreign chakra in his system. His vision was completely filled with white; the room was too bright for his sensitive eyes. He groaned inwardly and closed his eyes, to shield them from the bright light. His whole body was aching and his throat was dry. He attempted to open his eyes again.

He suddenly heard a loud groan coming from next to him. He blinked and tried to lift himself from the bed to a sitting position. He noticed that there was indeed foreign chakra in his system that caused him to feel all tingly. He noted that maybe the chakra had belonged to the medical ninja that had healed him earlier as his body showed no sign of ever suffering from any form of injury.

"You shouldn't force yourself, Sasuke," Kakashi spoke from behind the pages of his green issue of Icha Icha Tactics.

Blinking, he surveyed the room he was in and noticed that Naruto was in the bed adjacent to his. He too, was starting to stir from his slumber.

As if on cue, the door opened. Kakashi bowed respectfully towards the visitor, "Hokage-sama."

Tsunade eyed the Uchiha and the Kyubi container. She smiled, their condition was much better than she had assumed. She lifted the charts from the end of their beds.

"Baa-chan?" A voice croaked from one of the beds.

Tsunade's eyes twitched at the nickname Naruto had given her. The blonde sat up from his bed, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Both of you can leave this hospital once you have completed the paperwork. Report to the Hokage Tower immediately after that," she turned her head to address Kakashi, "Make sure Yamato and Sai are present too. Try not to be late, Hatake."

She walked to the doors, "It would be advisable not to underestimate her. She's no longer the weak girl you left behind."

Sasuke lifted his head to look at her, his face as emotionless as ever. Both Naruto and Kakashi stared at her in confusion. With a final smirk, she closed the doors.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke had his hands in his pockets as he awkwardly stood in the middle of the Hokage's office. His dark onyx eyes studied the pale man that stood a few steps from him. He eyed the artist suspiciously, was _this _his replacement? He mentally scoffed, making sure at the same time, his face still showed no hint of expression.

Yamato stood next to Sai, his dark eyes staring warily at the office doors.

As usual, Kakashi was _late_.

Suddenly, the office doors opened. A tall, silver-haired man entered the room, his hand scratching the back of his head. Sasuke was sure he could see the all too familiar sheepish smile behind his mask.

"Sensei! You're late!" Naruto shouted, his finger pointing accusingly at his sensei that was currently making up an excuse.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke muttered.

"Teme! You have no right to tell me to do that, ttebayo," Naruto retorted, the volume of his voice a notch higher.

"You're bursting my eardrums, _dickless_," Sai spoke, a smile plastered across his face.

"What? I should-"

Before Naruto was given a chance to complete his sentence, Tsunade had smacked her palms flat on her table, "Silence!" The room instantly fell silent. The group eyed the Hokage apprehensively; ticking her off was not a very good idea.

Tsunade sat on her chair, and poured herself a cup of sake. She took a sip of it, "Since _most_ of you are here now. I'll get down to business."

"Uchiha, you left the village without permission, associated yourself with one of the most dangerous criminals and forced me to send out some of my most talented ninja's to bring your ass back here. Tell me, besides execution, what could possibly be the most suitable punishment for you?"

Kakashi and Yamato widened their eyes in shock. Naruto, being the idiot, decided to protest, "But baa-chan! Sasuke's back and he didn't actually hurt any-"

"Shut up, Naruto. I'm not talking to you," Tsunade shouted in her booming voice which immediately silenced the boy and caused the occupants of the room to wince.

"From today onwards, you are not allowed on any missions but D and C-ranked missions. You're weapons will be confiscated and you will be under 24/7 surveillance. One wrong move Uchiha, and I will not hesitate to be _less_ merciful," Tsunade continued, her voice screamed authority and made sure that no one was able to protest.

Sasuke closed his eyes and swallowed his pride. He bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened when his head was suddenly pushed down by Kakashi, joining Sasuke.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi spoke, "Also for healing them."

Tsunade raised one of her eyebrows.

"Kakashi-san, it wasn't-" Shizune was cut off when Tsunade raised one of her hands, signalling her to stop.

"You think that _I__'__m_ the one that healed these two morons?" Tsunade questioned, before laughing.

Yamato blinked in surprise, "Naruto and Sasuke were in critical condition. No one else has the same amount of medical expertise as you, Hokage-sama."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but it wasn't me," she took another sip of her sake.

"No? Then Shizune-san?" Sai asked looking at her _other_ apprentice.

Tsunade glared at the pale artist, "You're _healer_ and _saviour_ that literally brought you back from the dead was _Haruno __Sakura_."

Tsunade smirked, taking pleasure in the shocked expressions on Naruto, Yamato and Kakashi's faces. She also noted the slight widening of Sai and Sasuke's eyes, taking into consideration that these two were unable to express their emotions very well.

Sakura certainly was being _greatly_ underestimated. Tsunade shook her head slightly. "As you noticed, which I sincerely hoped you did, Sakura has not been seen since all of you returned. She spent a whole day healing both of you before I sent her on a solo mission."

Naruto immediately bolted towards her desk, "Solo mission? That's dangerous, baa-chan!"

She sighed, it was certainly difficult for them to accept the fact that Sakura was much stronger than before, "Unlike you and the Uchiha brat who are still Genin, Sakura has already successfully became a Jounin and is part of the ANBU medical team."

She smirked behind her cup of sake, oh their faces were _priceless_. She couldn't help but continue, "Besides, if Hatake isn't around, Sakura would make a perfect candidate to become the next Hokage."

She sipped her sake, hiding her accomplished smile as Naruto started to panic and his cerulean eyes grew large.

"Sakura-chan becoming the next Hokage? There's no way I'm ever allowing that to happen, ttebayo!" He shouted in determination before wilting like a dead flower and continuing, "But, I have to support Sakura-chan."

"Dobe, there's no way Sakura could become the next Hokage," Sasuke spoke. Tsunade turned to glare daggers at the Uchiha.

Okay, forget about being merciful.

"I almost forgot to mention, Uchiha. Besides, a group of ANBU that would be following you're every move; you would also be required to be _babysitted_ by one of your teammates."

Sasuke turned his head to look at her, "I refuse to live with either Naruto or Kakashi. I would rather have the number of ANBU doubled than live with them."

Kakashi and Naruto looked mortally wounded by his remark.

"I didn't say that you would be staying with either of them," Sasuke eyes widened slightly.

The door of the office suddenly opened, a pink-haired beauty entered the room. Sasuke instantly recognised her despite the large changes. Her hair was longer and tied loosely on one side of her head. She was clad in her usual biker shorts that were shorter, her boots went pass her knee and her heels were slightly higher. Her medic apron was still tied around her petite waist. She was also wearing a tight mesh shirt and a tube top that only managed to fully cover her chest area. Besides that, she had the customary chunin vest that was unzipped.

Her attire was not the only thing that had changed, her figure had changed _entirely. _She had definitely _matured_ over the years, Sasuke thought. His eyes roamed over her curves and long, toned legs.

Noticing this, Sasuke inwardly grimaced at his shameful act and his eyes snapped back to her face. Her skin looked smooth and unblemished, gone were the childish features he _vaguely _remembered. The only thing that didn't change was her sea foam coloured eyes that held buckets of emotions.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, unsure. Naruto was sure his jaw had literally hit the ground.

She smiled, making her much more irresistible, "Konnichiwa."

"Sakura, you're back from the mission! Did you get rid of them?" Tsunade spoke breaking the awkward silence and the stares the hormonal men in the room were giving her prized apprentice.

Sakura walked towards her Shishou, and passed a small scroll to her, "They were rouge Kirigakure ninjas. Probably not past the level of Chunin."

"How many were there? What was their purpose?"

"Three. They were killing and stealing from the travellers and Konoha ninjas. I've got rid of them."

"Good. The stupid pests were making it difficult for merchants to travel to Konoha. It's not good for the economy," Tsunade took another sip of her sake and read the scroll on her hands, "Oh. Sakura, don't forget to welcome you teammates."

Sakura turned around to face her team after completely ignoring them. Naruto was shuffling his feet uncomfortably and his eyes were downcast.

Sakura couldn't help but smile, "It has been a long time, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taichou, Sai and _Sasuke_." The way she spat the last name made the occupants in the room uncomfortable. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. He noticed that the suffix '-kun' had been dropped.

"As ugly as ever, hag," Sai spoke with confidence.

Sakura's patience snapped. With the speed of an experienced ninja, she grabbed the collar of Sai's shirt. Taking advantage of Sai's shock, she threw him out of the window of the Hokage's office.

Her Shishou sighed out loud, "Sakura, that was unnecessary."

She puffed out her cheeks like a child and huffed, "That was _very_ necessary, Shishou."

"I guess I should be happy that you chose not to punch him through the walls. It would be very costly to repair them."

Sakura smiled gratefully at her Shishou before looking back at her other teammates, "So, who's next?"

Tsunade roared with laughter, "Now, now, Sakura. That's not the proper way to welcome your teammates."

"S-Sakura-chan! All of us missed you!" Naruto shouted, in hopes that he would not be flung out the window.

The rest of her team joined him.

"Yes. We missed you," Yamato and Kakashi chorused.

"Hn."

Tsunade smiled, "Since all of you just returned, you will have a week of vacation before returning to work. Naruto and Sasuke on the other hand, will go straight to completing D-ranked missions."

"But baa-chan!" Naruto whined.

"No buts! How long are both of you planning to stay Genins?" Even though she knew that their skills were past Chunin level, she also knew that they were still ranked as a very low levelled ninja despite their skills. As the Hokage, she wouldn't be able to assign missions past the C-rank if they were still Genin.

"All of you are dismissed! Oh. Uchiha, you're babysitter will be _Haruno __Sakura_."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsunade sighed as she took another sip of her sake.

"Tsunade-sama, what was the point of assigning Uchiha Sasuke a _babysitter_?" Shizune questioned as she picked up Tonton from the ground.

Tsunade smirked, "Out of all the people, I think Sakura would do a wonderful job at torturing that Uchiha brat."

Shizune smiled, "Then, Sakura being the next Hokage?"

Tsunade looked up at her from her desk, "That wasn't a _complete _lie."

Shizune couldn't help but laugh at the Hokage's antics.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**


	3. Chapter 3

-I don't own. Oh, and I'm broke.-

**Comeback**

**I am super grateful that you guys are reading, reviewing and subscribing. ^_^**

**The constant support keeps me writing~!**

**I tried to keep them in character. Did I do it right? **

**Proceed to scroll~! :D**

Chapter 3: Sakura-Sensei?

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_A __woman __should __be __like __a __single _flower_, __not __a __whole _**bouquet**_.__  
><em>_-Anna __Held__  
><em>

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura took great measures not to pound the man walking next to her. Her hands were itching to beat him to a pulp. After all these years and leaving her on a _bench_ all he could say to her was, "Hn."

Hn.

_Hn_?

_**HN!**_

What the heck does that even _mean_?

But no, she was a kunoichi. A kunoichi with great patience. She wasn't going to fall to temptation and rip him to pieces. Oh no. She was going to do _far_ _worse_. Sadly, Tsunade had given her strict instructions to be his babysitter. If she wasn't given this mission, she would have already flung him out the window right after Sai.

Hell, she would have flung _everyone_ out the window.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Especially a certain pink-haired ninja with super-strength.

Sakura snuck a glance at the Uchiha beside her. He had grown taller; the top of her head barely reached his nose. His hair also grew longer, framing his face and covering his bare forehead. He was sure that he had also grown in strength over the past few years; since he was the man that defeated both Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi. His physique had also changed.

Sakura walked towards the doors of her empty apartment. Bending down, she reached behind a pot of flowers placed strategically beside her door and pulled out a silver key.

Sasuke arched one of his perfect eyebrows and looked at her questioningly.

"What? Ino comes sometimes when I'm not around," she clarified while opening the door to her apartment. She entered, while Sasuke stood at the doorway, hesitating.

Sasuke had never actually thought that _Sakura _could the person in charge of babysitting him. As much as he hated being under the care of a _woman_, he was somewhat relieved that it wasn't Kakashi or even worst Naruto. He inwardly shuddered at the thought. He was sure if he was under the Dobe's care, he would have ended up killing him by _accident_ and Sasuke would be executed on the spot.

Though, he was still suspicious. He was unsure why he actually needed a babysitter. Are the dozen ANBUs trailing after him not enough?

Putting that side aside, he was very uncomfortable at the fact that he would have to stay in the same apartment as his ex-teammate, the same person he had left behind on a bench after she had confessed her undying love.

Sasuke had thought that she would be the one welcoming his return. Besides, there was no woman that was ever able to resist his charms.

"_Uchiha_, what are you standing there for? Come in," a female voice spoke.

Sasuke lifted his head. He narrowed his eyes at the fact that Sakura addressed him by using his surname. He stepped into her apartment. It was small yet cosy. It was large enough for at least three people. He took a look around. The walls were painted a soft yellow and the furniture in the room complemented the yellow tones.

"I'll show you to your room," she led him to one of the rooms, "My room is at the end of the hallway. If you need anything, _knock first_. I'll call you once dinner is prepared."

She opened the doors to his room and he walked in. He was actually quite surprised at how civil Sakura was acting towards him.

"Hn," was his reply.

Sakura sighed. She should have expected as much.

She walked towards her small kitchen and started to retrieve pots and pans from her cupboards.

She was about to start washing the rice when she heard rasping noises coming from her window. She left the rice to investigate. Opening her window, she was pleasantly surprised when she found one of Tsunade's messenger hawks holding a scroll in its beak.

Sakura patted the bird and took the scroll from its beak. She returned to her kitchen as she did the necessary hand signs to open the scroll.

She skimmed through the words written on the scroll, before backtracking and re-reading the whole scroll again _just_ to make sure she was reading it correctly.

She smiled an evil-like grin.

_Oh. This was going to be so much fun._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto and Sasuke were once again standing in the Hokage's office. They were told that they were required to complete some low-ranked mission. Naruto could sense that Sasuke was rather miffed -or downright pissed- at the fact that he would be wasting time doing stupid missions with a certain moron.

Naruto didn't seem to mind as much as long as his friend was spared from the death penalty. It was finally a relief to have the whole Team 7 reunited again.

His thoughts were suddenly filled with Sakura.

She had seemed almost distant and cold towards him. He should have expected that since he _did_ leave her behind in Konoha. But, he had hoped that she would at least be elated at the fact that he managed to fulfil his promise and bring the Teme back.

He had hoped that she would have forgiven him.

Naruto had also noticed that Sakura's temper had not changed over the years. He heard that Sai was currently in the hospital. The strength of her throw did not give him a chance to land on his feet but land on his face. Of course, before he landed, he had a wonderful aerial view of Konoha.

He sighed in relief at the fact that he was lucky enough to not be thrown out.

"Okay boys, I'm sure you're aware that you would have to complete a list of missions by the end of today. Most of them are D-ranked; though I'm sure there are a handful of C-ranked missions. And since it is necessary for a Team to have at least three people, I have someone temporary that would be perfect to fill in the empty spot," Tsunade said looking up from her sake bottle and paperwork.

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked up to look at her.

The Hokage doors opened.

Naruto turned to look at his temporary team mate. He was surprised at the fact that his team mate was a short 12 year-old with dark hair and bright blue eyes.

"This," Tsunade gestured with her hand, "is Mochizuki Shin. He is your temporary team mate for the next few days. _Coincidentally_, his team members are suffering from a mild case of food poising and are recuperating in the hospital."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He was pretty sure it wasn't a _coincidence_.

"Hokage-sama, are you sure they are my team mates? Aren't they a little too old to be Genins? How many times did they have to repeat the Academy?" Shin spoke, frowning.

Sasuke felt his ego suffer from his words.

Naruto felt as if he had been stabbed with a freshly sharpened kunai and thrown in a ditch.

Tsunade couldn't help but snicker.

"Now, shoo! Go and meet your new sensei in the training grounds," Tsunade said, dismissing them.

"New sensei?" Naruto questioned, "What about Kakashi-sensei?"

Tsunade's eyes widened, "You mean, Sakura didn't inform you?"

The boys looked at each other before once again looking at her.

They were in for a surprise.

"Well, then. Brace yourself, boys."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hey, hey, why does your hair look like the backside of a chicken?"

Sasuke's eye twitched, he opted to stay quiet hoping that that he would get bored and stopped pestering him.

Naruto was already snickering.

"Shut up, dobe."

"Teme."

"Dobe."

"Teme."

"How long have you two been married? You bicker like my parents," Shin interjected, eyeing his temporary team mates.

That caused the both of them to suddenly shut their mouths and glare at the kid. Before either of them could retaliate, the small boy rushed towards someone, "Sakura-sensei!"

Wait. Wha-?

_Sakura-__**sensei**__?_

Both of them turned around slowly.

"Shin-kun! How have you been?" She crouched down to his eye-level.

"Great! I didn't know that you would be my temporary sensei! It almost makes me feel better at the fact that I would be stuck with a married couple. You know, Sensei, they won't stop fighting like children. Are they really Genins? Don't you think they're a little old to be Genins?" Shin rambled.

Sakura laughed and ruffled his short dark hair. The boy flushed pink.

At this, Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Sakura-chan? You're going to be our temporary _sensei_?" Naruto asked, incredulous.

She beamed at him, "Since, Shin-kun's sensei is hospitalised, Yamato-taichou and Kakashi-sensei are taking the week off. Tsunade-shishou sent me to become the stand-in sensei."

"Of course, for now, both of you will have to refer to me as _Sakura-__**sensei**_."

Oh. Look at those _priceless_ expressions.

If only she had a camera.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Neji's eye twitched, if he had to hear _one_ more lecture on 'youthfulness', he swore he wouldn't be able to hold back. Team Gai had just returned from an A-rank mission that required them to leave Konoha for a long period of time. His body was aching and he was seriously lacking sleep.

Tenten yawned and waved at the men in her Team goodbye before heading in the opposite direction to her home. The weapon mistress too was extremely exhausted.

Of course - no surprise there-, Gai and Lee were the only people that were strangely energetic. It was certainly _humanly_ _impossible_ to be so energetic after that long of a mission. Both the men clad in green spandex were shouting at the top of their lungs talking about something along the lines of 'youth'.

Oh. Why was his house _so__far__away?_

"Neji! Would you like to join our youthful training by running 200 laps youthfully around Konoha?" His sensei asked, striking a pose. Neji narrowed his eyes as the signature shine on his teeth momentarily blinded him.

At this invitation, Lee started to get excited, "OH! It could be a competition!"

_Oh,__hell__no._

"No," he grunted before turning around and walking away ignoring his sensei that started to wilt like a dead flower.

"How un-youthful," Gai muttered sadly, "Lee! You're the only person that understands the importance of youthfulness."

"Gai-sensei," Lee started to tear up.

Neji took this as a sign to walk faster. The both of them were always having _'__moments__'_. It was wise to step out of the way while they were preoccupied.

Neji walked past familiar shops that lined the streets of Konoha. There were a lot more people on the streets than usual. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted a pink rose in a bouquet. The lone pink rose was surrounded by other type of flowers. Yet, nothing could outshine it.

He frowned as he stared at the lone flower.

The lone _pink_ flower.

Men don't stare at flowers.

Especially _pink_ ones.

The next thing he knew, said rose was in his face. He blinked in surprise.

"Go on. Take it," the old lady said with a smile on her face. She held out the flower to him. He was about to protest when she insisted, "Take it. Give it to a nice lady who deserves it."

He took the flower from her grasps and thanked the old lady before walking away.

Pink?

Neji started to twiddle with the stalk of the said pink rose.

"Did you hear?" Neji snapped out of his reverie. He noticed that a group of people were gossiping nearby. Using his trained sense of hearing, he listened to their conversation, "The Uchiha boy that abandoned the village has returned. It looks like Haruno-san's Team managed to bring him back to Konoha."

"Well, there goes my chance of ever courting her," another spoke. Neji frowned at this comment.

"You idiot, I doubt she would ever have an interest in you," another continued, "Besides, I think Haruno-san would have beaten them to Suna by now for leaving her."

Neji silently agreed with that statement.

"Hee? I pity them. Though no men I've meet have ever resisted Haruno-san's charms. I can't help but feel jealous, ya'know?"

"True, they'll be fawning over her in no time."

Neji appeared behind one of the men and lightly tapped his shoulder. He jumped in shock causing all three of them to drop their scrolls. Two of the men scrambled to pick of the scrolls. The third turned to look at him, "Ne-Ne-Neji-senpai!"

"Do you know where Sakura is now?" Neji asked.

The man started to stutter in his presence, "Sh-She should be at training ground number 12."

Neji nodded his thanks before disappearing.

Once he arrived, he blinked in surprise.

On their hands and knees were the Kyuubi container and the Uchiha prodigy cleaning up the training grounds.

_How__unbecoming_, he thought.

His eyes scanned the training grounds and found Sakura under a tree her back relaxing against the tree. He made his way towards her. She opened her eyes sensing his presence. The Uchiha prodigy too looked up from his position to glare at him.

The beautiful pink haired woman smiled, "Neji! You're back from the mission!"

She stood up enthusiastically and engulfed the Hyuga in an embrace. Neji stiffened momentarily before patting her back with one hand.

He could start to feel the glares of her team mates on his back. Probably trying to burn a hole right through him.

She released her grip and placed her hands on her hip, "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Aa," was his reply.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto corrected himself, "Sakura-sensei, I think we're done cleaning."

Neji raised his eyebrows at how Naruto addressed Sakura. He looked questioningly at her.

She smiled sweetly in response.

Naruto and Sasuke started to walk towards them.

Sakura ruffled Shin's hair, "You did a great job."

Neji blinked and looked down, beside Sakura was a small boy covered in dirt and grime.

Sakura started to explain, "I'm their temporary sensei."

Her viridian eyes suddenly fell to something in his hands, "What's that?" She pointed out.

Neji looked down at the rose still in his grasps.

He was at a loss. And Hyuga's were _never_ at a loss.

Wait. What was he doing with this flower again?

"Uhh," he muttered inelegantly, "Here. Take it."

"Me?" Shin asked confused.

Neji grunted, shoving it into his face.

The boy took it reluctantly, "Gee, Sakura-sensei. All your friends are _weird._"

Naruto and Sasuke stared at the Hyuga with a confused look on their faces. He would've given it to Sakura, but in his weak state he would not be able to fight off _both_ her team mates. And besides, he's never given a woman a gift before. _Ever_. He was too shy to give it to her anyway; of course, the mighty Hyuga Neji would _never_ admit that out loud.

"Look, Sakura-sensei! It's pink just like your hair," the boy pointed out excitedly.

Neji was suddenly being attacked by suspicious glares from her team mates. Luckily, looks couldn't kill.

Sakura looked down to address the boy, "Oh? Do you like pink?"

The boy's cheeks and ears started to turn a bright tomato red, "Y-Y-Yes."

The men in the area turned to look at the young boy. They clearly understood what the boy was _implying_.

She smiled sweetly at the boy before turning her attention to her team mates, "What are you waiting for? Go back to work."

"Yes, Sensei!" Naruto shouted before scrambling away with the scowling Uchiha in tow.

"So, Neji, is there something you need?" She looked up at him with her large viridian eyes.

He knew that Naruto and Sasuke were at hearing distance. But he didn't care so he continued anyway, "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He snorted-_sort_ _of_-, "Sakura, we've been training together for years. I would at least know when something is bothering you."

Sakura looked down and started to play mindlessly with the zipper of her Chunin vest.

Neji sighed, "You aren't still doubting your strength, are you?"

She bit her lip and looked up at him sheepishly, "Maybe?"

"Sakura, the whole of Konoha are aware of your abilities. Hell, I think most of the members of Konoha Eleven have experienced it first hand," he absent-mindedly started to rub at an area under his chin where Sakura had punched him during one of their sparring sessions. His face was swollen like a blimp! He learnt _never_ to let his guard down around her after that.

"Never doubt yourself, Sakura. Someday they'll understand," he continued.

"Thank you, Neji," she smiled gratefully at him.

From one corner of the training grounds, Naruto eyed the Hyuga prodigy with suspicion. Sasuke was sulking next to him.

"Teme, how come Sakura-chan doesn't welcome us home like she welcomed Neji?" He asked recalling how she had hugged the Byakugan user.

"Hn," Sasuke started to mutter under his breath about how a certain man with a specific kekkei genkai could never match up to him. How _dare_ he come over and flirt with his –_their_- team mate.

"You think she hates us for leaving?" Naruto frowned when he saw Sakura laugh at something Neji said.

Sasuke stopped muttering, "You left her behind? She didn't _volunteer_ to stay behind?"

"No. We forced Tsunade-baachan to stop her from following us."

"We didn't want her to get hurt, ya'know?" Naruto continued when Sasuke remained silent.

"You didn't think that _maybe_ she would be hurt that you left her behind?"

"Well, _maybe_ I was protecting her from an idiot that left her behind on a _bench_!"

Low blow, Naruto.

Sasuke growled before launching himself at him, his fist clenched. A fist fight had started. Their fists aimed for each other's faces while they dodged their opponent's attacks. Their punches were frighteningly accurate. They ignored Sakura's cries to stop them and continued their battle.

Sakura and Neji jumped into the fray. Sakura grabbed Naruto's collar and threw him to a nearby tree. Not hard enough to cause any _serious_damage. Neji used his Palm Bottom technique and thrust his palm onto Sasuke's chest, sending his chakra into his system to temporarily paralyse him.

"That's enough!" Sakura hissed in displeasure, her green eyes glowing menacingly, "I expected you _boys_ to behave yourselves."

Sasuke looked up at her from the ground, his body not responding. Naruto was struggling to get up.

Sakura started to walk away before Neji stopped her, "Aren't you going to help them?"

Sakura glared at both the males sprawled on the ground before saying, "No. Besides, they didn't need me from the beginning."

Shin appeared from behind Neji, "Oh no! You made Sakura-sensei angry. You won't like it if she's angry."

"I suggest you find a safe place to hide," Neji agreed, "Come, Shin. I'll send you home."

Bah! Hide? Uchihas _never_ hide.

Weak little Sakura would never be able to defeat him in battle.

That was where our genius Uchiha was _wrong_.

Oh so _very __wrong_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Phew~!**

** You know, I was wondering, do you guys want the Sand siblings to appear?**

** So, since this story doesn't have a specific couple. Any requests?**

** Please review! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

-Would I be posting this here if Naruto belonged to me? I don't think so.-

**Comeback**

**I wasn't supposed to update this so quickly. But the ideas just kept flowing. And since I've completed it, I might as well post it! (SF Geronimo, I'm looking forward to that 500 word review. xD)**

**Thank you for reading! ^_^**

**All of you make me _beyond_ happy. Especially those who have reviewed! I love you all~**

**Proceed to read. ~('.'~)**

Chapter 3: Oh, Woe is me!

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_The _walls_ we build around us to keep _sadness_ out also keeps out the _**joy**_. _

_~Jim Rohn_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke struggled to gain control of his body as he tried to lift his heavy body of the grass. From his peripheral vision, he could see the Dobe trying to stand up from his position by the tree. It might have looked like Sakura had thrown a feather when in truth; she had lifted a full grown _man_ and _threw_ him. He wondered where she had gotten that type of _strength_.

Sasuke walked towards Naruto and helped him to his feet; the blonde was still groaning and clutching the back of his neck in pain.

"This is your entire fault, Dobe," Sasuke muttered.

"_My_ fault? _You_ attacked _me _first!" Naruto countered.

Before Sasuke could speak, he felt a presence. A man clad in the full ANBU uniform appeared before them. His porcelain mask fully covered his face and slightly muffled his voice, "Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san."

The ANBU nodded in respect before continuing, "The Hokage requires your presence. Both of you are to report to the Hokage Tower immediately." The ANBU immediately vanished leaving the two of them.

The two of them had fought all the way to the Hokage Tower.

Naruto slammed open the Hokage doors, "TEME! You-" He stopped abruptly when he walked into the office his mouth agape and his bright blue eyes as large as saucers. The _entire_ room was _filled_ with paperwork and mission scrolls. Naruto could barely find a spot on the floor that _wasn't_ covered in paper.

Sasuke entered the office pushing Naruto who was blocking the doorway and frowned at the sight before him.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Tsunade called out their names happily a smile on her face. Her amber eyes were twinkling with excitement. "I've heard from Sakura that both of you were doing an excellent job."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other.

Tsunade continued, "She also informed me that both of you have requested for more work! So, both of you will be given the task to clear up _all_ these paperwork." Tsunade opened her arms wide gesturing to the room; a happy smile still evident on her features.

Naruto's jaw dropped and Sasuke looked even paler than usual.

The Brat was right when he said they wouldn't like it if she was angry.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sai thanked the nurse with his fake smile as he left the hospital. His body was still a little sore but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He clutched the new book he had in his hands: _**How to Win Her Heart in Seconds**_. Sai was still unsure why he had bought the book but he deemed it useful for his research on human emotions. His other recent book on nicknames had failed him immensely and had caused his almost demise after being thrown out the window.

Weren't these types of nicknames supposed to bring him closer to people? The Traitor and Dickless had used nicknames like Teme and Dobe for each other and they were pretty close. So, he had tried nicknames with the pink-haired kunoichi. He wasn't expecting to be thrown out the window. Was Hag and Ugly not sufficient? Should he have tried something more insulting?

Suddenly, he saw a flash of pink. He immediately masked his chakra and followed the pinkette. He found himself following her deep in the forest. He was sure this was one of the new training grounds Konoha had built while he had been gone. Instead of having a clear area for ninjas to train, the terrain was filled with trees that could be used as cover.

He crouched on a branch above her as he watched Sakura stomp towards a tree. He duly noted that she was in a bad mood. Sai could practically see the fumes coming out of her ears. Her face was a bright red that complemented her hair. He could see a myriad of emotions through her emerald eyes.

Anger.

Pain.

Disappointment.

He wondered why he didn't have such emotions.

Sai's eyes widened as she pulled back an arm to punch a very unlucky tree into pieces. She swung her leg annihilating another tree.

"SHANNARO!"

Sakura's fist hit the ground as Sai braced for the oncoming earthquake. But, it never happened. The forest was eerily quiet. Maybe she didn't use her chak-

All at once, the ground surrounding her gave way interrupting his thoughts. It was too late for Sai to jump out of the way; he was soon buried under debris and chunks of trees.

He groaned in pain.

"Who's there? Kami-sama! Sai! Are you okay?"

Sakura ran towards the pale artist her hands already glowing a mint green to repair any damage. He had broken a couple of ribs and had a deep gash across his forehead. She helped him to his feet and placed his arm around her shoulders to steady him, "What are you doing here?"

Sai cracked open one of his eyes, he could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He slowly took in his environment. Before him, the trees that once stood up proudly were crushed and uprooted. The terrain was uneven and the two of them were standing in the middle of a _very_ _large_ crater.

He didn't even bother to reply to her question as he stared dumbly at the sight before him.

"Come on, I'm taking you to the hospital to patch you up."

Sakura placed another arm around his waist as she leapt towards the hospital.

Once they arrived at the hospital they were greeted by one of the nurses, "Sai-san, I wasn't expecting you back here so soon."

"Neither did I," his fake smile already plastered across his face. Sakura practically dragged him to one of the unoccupied rooms in the hospital and placed him on the bed. She started to tear his clothes open and heal the broken ribs.

Her hands against his chest were warm and comforting. He lifted his gaze from her slender fingers to look at her. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. "Tell me, Sakura. What were you doing in the forest?"

Sakura looked up at him, surprise evident in her features. Had he just called her by her _name_? She shrugged, "Training?"

"Destroying one whole training ground is _training_?"

"It was either _that_ or those two idiots."

"Traitor and Dickless?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and laughed, "You're still using those silly nicknames? Don't tell me you're _still_ reading those ludicrous guide books."

Sai lifted the now dirty book he had kept; his empty smile not faltering.

Sakura sighed, "You can't learn about emotions through _books_, Sai. You've got to _feel_ them though experience."

"How would I do that, Hag?"

Sakura's eye twitched. He was lucky he was already injured or Sai would have taken _another_ sight-seeing flight over Konoha. Sakura pondered for a minute. How do you teach emotions to someone who has never felt anything before? It was like describing the colour orange to a blind person. Sai was from Root, an organisation that did not favour _any_ type of emotion. Sai was like a blank piece of paper. _Empty_. He saw things as cold logic instead of what they really were. She remembered the first time she had punched him. She also remembered the guilt she felt when he confessed that he had no feelings.

Sakura looked at Sai; his chest and forehead bandaged. He was looking at her, expecting an answer. Sai resembled Sasuke in many ways but they also differed. Sasuke's eyes were filled with hatred and anger towards his brother that had murdered his entire Clan. Sai's eyes on the other hand were emotionless and empty. People say that the eyes were windows to the souls, yet staring into Sai's eyes; one has to wonder if he even had a soul. It scared Sakura sometimes to look at him.

All her boys were broken beyond repair.

Sakura only wished that she could ease the pain.

She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him. Sakura could feel Sai stiffen momentarily.

Meanwhile, Sai was having a war in his head. Half of it told him to push her away while the other half told him to enjoy the moment while it lasted. He wracked his brain for a reasonable explanation as to why the Hag was _hugging_ him. It seems that none of the guides he had read could give him a proper explanation. Maybe he should get some more of those guides on kunoichis.

Sakura finally removed herself from him. _A little **too** quickly for Sai's taste._ She noticed that Sai's dark eyes were wide and his cheeks were a light pink colour; a huge contrast to his pale skin.

She giggled, "What you felt just now was an emotion called '**Surprise**'."

Sakura smiled a saccharine sweet smile at him before leaving, "Stay in the hospital for the night. I'll come to check on your injuries tomorrow."

Sai stood in the middle of the hospital room, her smile still in his head. He liked how her sea foam eyes seemed to sparkle when she smiled. Wait. Did he just say he _liked _butt ugly Sakura? He shook his head in denial. An emotionless person like him could never come to _like_ someone. Right?

That day, the unemotional artist had started to feel.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kakashi had his nose in one of his erotic novels when he walked into one of his students.

"Sakura! How have you been?" Kakashi ruffled her hair affectionately. Even though a couple of years had passed, Sakura was still a head shorter than him.

She smiled at him, "Fine, sensei. I take it that you've been at the Memorial the whole day?"

Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly, "How did you know?" He started to fall into step with Sakura.

"Remember the first time Team 7 had to undergo the bell test? You pointed out that your best friend's name was carved on the stone. I just guessed you would have been there since you've been gone for a couple of years," Sakura explained shrugging her shoulders.

Of course, this was an outright lie. Unbeknownst to Kakashi, Sakura actually knew a great deal about her sensei's mysterious past.

During the time when her Team had _abandoned_ - Yes, she was still bitter about it- her in search for the Uchiha, Sakura had been given the task to clear up Konoha's Archives. During her cleaning, she had come across files pertaining Hatake Sakumo and Kakashi's Genin team. She had learnt about Uchiha Obito and Rin. Sakura had finally understood why her sensei was always late. On that day itself, she had visited the Memorial and left flowers.

Kakashi was a man that had loved and _lost_. He had lost his mother at a young age. He had lost his father. He had lost his friends and team mates. Like her team mates, Kakashi was also broken. Despite that, Kakashi still cared for them and showed concern.

Kakashi noticed that his pink-haired student was zoning out when her face suddenly changed to a blank expression, "Sakura? Is something wrong?"

Sakura turned to look at him, "You know, Sensei. When was the last time you had your physical examination?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. He tried to change the subject, "Sakura! I heard that you became Naruto and Sasuke's stand-in sensei."

The kunoichi gave him a _that-won't-work-on-me_ look, "You're lucky I'm too tired to drag you to the hospital today." She shook her head before continuing, "Sasuke and Naruto are being difficult as usual, though I think they're having a _wonderful_ time at the Hokage's office now."

Kakashi backed away slightly when he saw Sakura smile evilly.

"What do you mean?" He ventured cautiously.

She looked at him, the evil grin not wavering, "Oh. You know, _payback_ for _leaving_. You better sleep with one eye open tonight, Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura burst into in laughter when she noticed how tense her sensei had become. Kakashi sighed in relief, "It's not nice to tease, Sakura."

She stopped laughing, her tone suddenly serious, "I wasn't teasing."

Okay, now Kakashi was scared.

Who would have thought that the _great_ Copy Ninja would be afraid of a petite pink-haired kunoichi?

Haruno Sakura was one of his students. When he first met his Genin team, he instantly noticed Sakura's bright pink hair. He had mused if her hair was dyed or a natural colour. The day he had first met his Genin team, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that the legendary Uchiha Sasuke and the jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto was placed under him. Back then, he didn't even bother to take notice of the pink-haired kunoichi. Of course, she had memorised everything there was to know about being a ninja. But, when it came to battle, she lacked the skill and talent.

When being compared to Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura was like a speck of dust. She was always the one he had to keep an eye on. She was the one he always had to protect and rescue from harm. Sakura seemed to want to become a ninja only to impress her childhood crush. She didn't have some sort of ambition or dream that she wanted to achieve. On top of that all, she did not have any special background.

She came from a normal civilian family, not from a special clan that had special abilities or a family that was famous for having skilled and powerful ninjas. If he wasn't mistaken, Sakura was the first from her family to become a ninja.

Out of all his students, he hadn't expected Sakura to become a Jounin _first_, let alone be a part of the ANBU medical team. Of course, Sakura had incredible chakra control and had grown stronger under Tsunade's tutelage. He had seen her improvement during their second bell test.

Sakura was no longer the over-emotional twelve year old girl he had thought that needed protection.

She had changed.

"Sensei? Sensei! Are you even listening to me?" Sakura interrupted his thoughts. _Loudly_.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Kakashi asked apologetically, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

Sakura sighed, "I said: We've already reached my house."

Kakashi blinked and started to look around him. He had actually escorted Sakura home without even realising it. Sakura grinned at him, "Thank you for sending me home. I'll see you around, Sensei."

Sakura was about to close the door when she was stopped by him, "Uhh..." He muttered oh so intelligently.

He struggled to form the correct sentence. "We haven't actually talked much."

Sakura tilted her head, "It wasn't my fault that you chose not to stay in contact during the two years."

_Ouch_.

Kakashi swallowed, "Right. That's why... I thought that maybe… We could have lunch together and talk."

Sakura stared at him for a minute, contemplating. She grinned, "Sure, Kaka-sensei. Why don't all of Team 7 come over to my house tomorrow for lunch? I'll cook."

Kakashi gave Sakura his signature eye crease, "See you tomorrow then."

Kakashi disappeared with a loud _poof_ sound. He was already far from Sakura's house when it suddenly dawned on him.

Did Sakura just say she was going to _cook_?

_Oh, shit._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

***~The Next Day~***

Naruto dragged his feet down Konoha's concrete paths. His eyelids were dangerously heavy and threatening to close any minute. He knew what was wrong with him. And it was more serious than he could ever imagine.

His Ramen Level was low.

He needed to get to Ichiraku's and _fast_. He dug into his pocket and fished out his green frog _man_ purse. Yes, it is a _very __manly_ place to keep your precious money. In his hands, the purse slumped pathetically. He sighed. It was empty since he had spent it all.

Naruto looked at the Teme that was walking alongside him. Both of them had stayed up _all night_ clearing up Tsunade-baachan's paperwork and mission scrolls. It was an incredibly long and painful process. The Kyuubi container noticed that the Uchiha was swaying slightly when he walked. He had dark circles under his eyes.

"Eh? Are you sure they are Genins?"

Naruto turned towards the high-pitched voice and found three kids each adorning the Konoha headband proudly. He easily recognised one of them as Mochizuki Shin, also known as **The Brat**. Beside the Brat was a girl with short light brown hair that touched the base of her neck. Next to her was another boy with spiky dark green hair. His eyes were covered by his over-sized black-rimmed glasses.

Shin nodded, "It's true!"

The one with the glasses spoke, "There is a possibility that they could have failed the Academy _terribly_ and were required to repeat the year."

The girl whispered, "I think they repeated more than a year."

Naruto could feel Sasuke's mood darken considerably.

"And they're MARRIED!" Shin shouted, flailing his arms wildly.

Naruto choked on his spit, "HOLY MOTHER OF-! WHAT?"

Glasses boy frowned, "That is highly unlikely. They are both males and would be unable to procreate."

"If they are married then which is the Mom and which is the Dad," the girl _completely_ ignored Glasses boy's comment. Glasses boy looked mortally wounded.

Naruto was about to protest when an idea hit him. He slung his hand around Sasuke's neck despite the scary killing aura he was giving off. "Yeah, Sas-**UKE**. I wonder who the _Mom_ is."

Sasuke's killing aura intensified tenfold and he turned his head to glower at the blonde. For a second, Naruto saw his life flash by. He was pretty sure it was the end for him.

Goodbye world.

Goodbye Ramen.

Goodbye Sakura-chan.

Goodbye Ramen. Wait, did he say that already?

Sasuke had already lifted his hand to punch the idiot when he heard a voice calling him from above.

Yes, _above_.

"Naruto! Sasuke!"

_Sakura? _

Sasuke lifted his head to look up. He found Sakura squatting on the roof directly above them. The sun was directly behind her, making it impossible for him to discern her features. Her pink hair was flying in the wind like a halo around her head. The Uchiha had to admit that it was a beautiful sight.

It was hard to believe that she was the same fan girl he had left behind so many years ago. He hadn't expected for her to change so much.

She leapt from the roof and landed gracefully on her feet, her medic skirt flying showing her tight black shorts wrapped around her hips and legs. Naruto blushed and looked away, not wanting to become victim to one of Sakura's deadly punches.

"Sakura-sensei!"

The kids crowded around the pinkette. She laughed, ruffling their hairs. "What are all of you doing here?"

Shin puffed up like a proud lion, "We were given a _very important_ mission."

"We are required to locate Madam Shijimi's missing cat," Glasses Boy deadpanned.

Sasuke snickered while Naruto started to laugh loudly.

Sakura smiled and crouched down to their level, "I'll teach you a trick."

Their eyes widened and watched with anticipation as Sakura placed her right hand on the ground. Sasuke folded his arms and watched. Suddenly, he felt her chakra travel below him and further down the village.

"By leaking your chakra and spreading it like a web, it should work as a sensor for you to locate your target. This is useful if you're searching for a _particular_ target. But any ninja's in the area would be alerted of your presence. Hence, it is not advisable to use this technique if you are undercover." She stood up, "You should be able to find Tora using this method."

Shin had already started trying the new technique while the one with the glasses had started to mumble equations under his breath.

The three Genins (excluding Teme and Dobe) nodded their thanks and waved goodbye as they started their search for Tora.

Sakura turned towards her team mates and was about to speak when she was suddenly tackled by something big and… _furry_?

Akamaru started to lick her neck and face playfully as she giggled.

"Akamaru!" Kiba noticed pink hair and smiled, "Sakura!"

Sakura tried to sit up as she petted Akamaru. Kiba scratched the back of his head, "Sorry about that. Akamaru must have felt your chakra web and thought you were in trouble."

After the dog specialist had removed Akamaru, Sakura stood up dusting her medic skirt. She grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

"This is good! _All_ of you can help me with my **grocery shopping**!"

_Huh?_ They thought in unison.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Okay!**

**A little bit of SaiSaku there since it was requested!**

**_Any other pairings?_ :D**

**Oh! Sand Siblings will appear in the _next_ chapter. Sakura beating Sasuke's ass also in the _next_ chapter. ;D**

**Now, Please click the button below and reviewwww~! 'Cause it makes me write faster. xD (I'm shameless, I know.)**


	5. Chapter 5

-Not mine. Rub it in, will ya?-

**Comeback **

Chapter 5: I'm Not Eating _That_!

**KibaSaku: 3**

**GaaSaku: 3**

**NejiSaku: 1**

**SaiSaku: 1**

**ShikaSaku: 0**

**KankuSaku: 0**

**SasuSaku: 0**

**NaruSaku: 0**

**KakaSaku: 0**

**YamaSaku: 0**

**Yo~! My wonderful readers, those are the results according to the (amazing and beautifully written) reviews I've gotten. Woot~! ^3^ Hence, this chapter will have _hints_ of KibaSaku _and_ GaaSaku! Since, you guys voted and it was a _tie_! You know, your votes _will affect_ who Sakura ends up with.**

**Enjoy ~(^_^)/**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_There is one thing __**more exasperating**__ than a wife who _can cook and won't_, and that's a wife who _can't cook and will_. _

_~Robert Frost_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke thought that once he accomplished his goal he would be joining his brother. He never once fathomed that he could survive the arduous battle. He had wanted to die as a hero avenging his clan. He would finally be able to prove his strength and superiority to his brother. And yet, after that long awaited battle, the Dobe had managed to find him and bring him back to Konoha. The place he _never_ thought he could _ever_ return to.

He would have thought that he would return and gain respect for defeating the almighty Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke would restore honour to the Uchiha Clan. And maybe, just maybe, _rebuild_ it. Of course, it had to be with someone worthy of _him_ and the Uchiha title. The Uchiha name would then rise and the people of Konoha would once again respect it.

And yet, here he was _reduced_ to **carrying** **groceries**.

Oh, how the Uchiha name had fallen.

Sasuke repositioned the heavy bag of groceries to get a better view of where he was walking. He could see the Dobe to his right struggling to carry another large brown paper bag filled to the brim with food. He would have walked away and ignored Sakura's request but she pulled out the '**sensei**' card and called it an _unofficial _mission. Not wanting to kill his chances of _ever_ graduating from the rank of Genin he reluctantly agreed to help her with her shopping.

And he regretted it. Shopping with Sakura was a _much_ more _painful_ process than training non-stop under the rain. Sasuke seriously hoped he didn't have to do this again.

Naruto frowned as he attempted to balance the full bag in his arms. He could barely see where he was _going_. He had excitedly agreed to help her, hoping that he could spend some time with Sakura. Naruto would talk to Sakura and once again become friends with her. Then after that, he would ask her to join him for some Ramen. They would fall hopelessly in love and get married.

He chuckled at his _brilliance_.

It was a _foolproof_ plan! Oh, he bet the Teme was jealous of his _genius_.

_But_, the dog specialist had to come along, automatically causing his plan to become _useless_ (so much for it being foolproof). He pouted like a child when Sakura had completely ignored him and chatted happily with Kiba. Now, in front of him he could see the Inuzuka and _his _Sakura walking side by side.

After all these years, Naruto _still_ loved Sakura.

Uzumaki Naruto, the knucklehead ninja, had a _huge_ crush on his team mate, the pinkette, Haruno Sakura. Back when they were still Team 7, Sakura could care less about him and would chase after the Teme with hearts in her eyes. She showered the cold Uchiha with her love and care while she showered Naruto with punches and kicks. The blonde was extremely jealous. Even though Sakura would not hesitate to punch him over the littlest matters, she still showed her concern towards the Kyubi container.

She had healed him when he was injured. She had reprimanded him when he kept eating Ramen instead of a healthy diet. She had thrown him over Konoha –_with __**love**__, of course_- when he had been caught peeking at the girls in the hot springs. Naruto knew that despite all the pain Sakura causes to him, she was the one who cared and knew him the most.

Sakura could read him like an open book (everyone can, Naruto). She trusted him with her life and would save his butt whenever he was in trouble. That's why, when she found out that they were leaving her behind, she had been disappointed in _him_ the most.

But, he didn't care even if she _hated_ him.

All he wanted was for her to be _happy_.

As if on cue, Sakura turned around to flash him a grin. Naruto flushed but still gave his crush his famous thousand watt smile.

"It's Sakura-sama!"

"Wow! She looks pretty today."

"Did she change her hairstyle?"

"Too bad I'm married."

"Do you think she would agree to go out with me?"

Sasuke frowned and Naruto was about to open his mouth when he was interrupted by a feral growl from the dog specialist. Kiba bared his canine teeth at the group of fan boys. They took the hint and ran as fast as their legs could carry.

"You have _fans_?" Sasuke's scowl deepened.

Sakura's cheeks flushed red, "I have no idea why. Please don't ask."

"Hn."

Kiba turned to look at Sasuke, "Of course Sakura has fans! She's kind, strong, beautiful and a capable kunoichi. You were a _fool_ to leave her behind."

Sakura had turned a deeper shade of red from Kiba's compliments and when a minute had passed, so did Kiba. Kiba could feel the heat rise to his cheeks after he realised what he had just said. He had openly complimented Sakura in front of her and her team mates. It almost felt as if he had revealed his darkest secrets to the entire village. Kiba and Sakura were not really close when they were Genin. But, when Aburame Shino and Hyuga Hinata had gotten together, he had felt a _little_ left out. During one of his mindless walks around Konoha, he had bumped into the pink haired kunoichi and had asked her to spar with him. He had thought that she wouldn't be much of a challenge. The next thing he knew he was knocked unconscious with just _one_ chakra enhanced punch. They had been close ever since.

Naruto gave him a suspicious glare and Kiba _swore_ he saw Sasuke's Sharingan flash a second ago. He cleared his throat and tried to change the subject, "So, Sakura. What are you doing with so much food?"

Sakura perked up, her apple green eyes shined with excitement. She completely forgot about the incident a moment ago, "I'm going to cook lunch for everyone in Team 7 and since you helped with the groceries, you're welcomed to join!"

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. _Cook_? Naruto could vaguely remember the last time she had cooked for them. It was during the time Sasuke was still with Orochimaru and Yamato-taichou and Sai had joined the Team. He was sick for a _week_. Sai, Yamato-taichou and Kakashi-sensei were not so lucky. Let's just say there was a lot of puking involved. Naruto started to turn a bright shade of green as he remembered the food that was cooked by Sakura. Sure, Sakura was a medic and she knew a great deal about what type of nutrients the body needs. She cares _so_ much about how _healthy_ the food should be she forgets about the _taste_. All he wanted was a steaming bowl of Ramen. Was that too much to ask for?

Sasuke started to feel faint. But, he _refused_ to keel over because Uchiha Sasuke _never_ fainted from something as trivial as Sakura's "food". He could barely control his shudder when he recalled the first time he had tasted her homemade food. It was during one of his birthdays when Sakura was still part of his fan club. She had come over shyly to the Uchiha residence and gave him an obento. Sasuke had debated whether to just throw it away but he –_stupidly_- chose to eat the obeno since it was too troublesome to leave the residence and get stampeded by a horde of rabid fan girls. When he popped a rice ball in his mouth, he had thought that he was going to die. He had learnt to avoid Sakura's food since then.

Kiba stared at Sasuke and Naruto quizzically. Both of their faces were turning into different shades of green and purple. What was so bad about homemade food done by the beautiful Haruno Sakura?

Oh, Kiba. You have _no idea_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Gaara! _Gaara!_ Slow down," Temari shouted as she struggled to keep up with her youngest brother. She was panting heavily as she leapt from branch to branch. Kankuro was far behind the both of them, fatigue getting the better of him.

The red head Kazekage grunted as he unwillingly slowed down his pace and stopped completely at the forest floors. He landed gracefully on his feet, his sand cushioning his landing further. Temari soon joined him and half a second later, Kankuro arrived. Kankuro placed his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"You know, Gaara," Temari said in between breaths, "What's the rush?"

Kankuro smirked knowingly, "He's excited to finally see his _girlfriend_."

The tips of the Kazekage's ears started to turn red, "Sakura is _not_ my girlfriend."

Kankuro rolled his eyes and was about to tease his younger brother again when he was smacked. "Ow!" He rubbed to back of his abused skull and glared at his older sister. Temari promptly started to reprimand him.

Gaara blinked, used to his siblings quarrelling and informed them that they would take a short break here before continuing their journey to Konohagakure. The Sand Siblings were on a short mission to Konoha to send an important scroll to the Hokage. Of course, this menial task could easily be completed by a Chunin but when he heard it was supposed to be sent to _Konoha_, the Kazekage had immediately started to pack.

Throughout the whole trip, his siblings had started to tease him about his _relationship_ with the pink-haired medic. He had ignored them and denied everything.

Even though he _knew_ some of it was true.

Gaara had met Haruno Sakura when she was sent to Sunagakure for a six month long mission to improve the medical system there. The Kazekage had known Sakura as one of the Uchiha's fan girls and didn't bother to give her any attention. But, when he had been kidnapped by Akatsuki, he had heard that weak little Haruno Sakura had managed to defeat Akasuna no Sasori in battle. He knew that it was with the help of Chiyo-baasama, but how much could a 73 year old woman do? Besides that, she had also saved his brother by finding an antidote for Sasori's poison. Sakura had managed to surpass Tsunade. She was also widely known for her medical ninjutsu, her super human strength and her exotic beauty.

It was safe to say that Haruno Sakura had managed to catch the Kazekage's attention.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto smacked his head on Sakura's dining table with a loud _thud_. Sai and Yamato-taichou had arrived a few minutes ago. As usual, Kakashi was _late_. Would it kill that man to come on time at least _once_?

"Ne, Teme, can't you think it of a way to get us out of this situation?" Naruto whispered careful not to let Sakura overhear him.

"What are the chances we could survive Sakura's cooking?" As soon as those words left Sasuke's lips. The mood in the entire room darkened. Yamato tried his very best not to remember. Sai stopped his sketching and recalled his nightmare stay at the hospital. There was puke _everywhere_. Even in places where _puke_ should _not_ be.

"The chances of surviving Hag's cooking are low," Sai softly spoke.

The four men leaned closer towards each other. Yamato was the first to speak, "This is a very delicate situation. One wrong move and Sakura would go _ballistic_."

Sasuke nodded, "We should proceed with caution."

"Traitor is right. But, we need a good escape plan," Sai ignored the glare from the Uchiha.

"What are you guys doing?"

Naruto jumped out of his skin, "_Kiba_! Don't scare us like that."

"Is something wrong?" Kiba questioned looking at the four men in the dining area.

"I take it that you have not tasted Sakura's cooking?" Yamato-taichou said.

Kiba scratched his head, "No. But, I don't mind trying."

Naruto placed his hand on Kiba's shoulder, "It was nice knowing ya pal."

_Huh? Why did he sound like he was going to die?_

Kiba was still confused when Sakura appeared from the kitchen. She placed a plate of onigiri on the table, "Lunch will be ready soon. Help yourselves to some onigiri first." The pinkette grinned before returning back to the kitchen.

The four men stared at the onigiri as if it was their mortal enemy. Kiba also stared it. The onigiri looked presentable enough with its triangle shape and single piece of nori wrapped at its base. He of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover. Kiba picked one up and shoved it in Naruto's face. The blonde shrieked and fell back on his chair, "Get that thing away from me!"

Sakura's head appeared from the kitchen after hearing a girlish scream, "What's going on?"

The Kyubi container quickly stood up and waved his hand dismissively, "Nothing's wrong, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura nodded, satisfied with his answer and returned to the kitchen.

Everything almost felt like it happened in slow motion as Kiba bit off more than half of the onigiri. The dog specialist stopped chewing and his expression suddenly turned blank. The other four men in the team stared at Kiba with amused expressions as his face started to turn a myriad of colours. Kiba calmly returned the other half of the onigiri to its plate and walked towards the window.

He threw up whatever was in his mouth.

"What the hell was that?" He hissed wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Akamaru sniffed the onigiri on the table and immediately regretted doing so.

"That," Sasuke deadpanned, "Is Sakura's cooking."

"Sakura-chan can do a lot of great things. But, there is _one_ thing she can't do," Naruto poked the onigiri with his finger, half-expecting it to fight back.

"Ugly can't cook," Sai stared at the triangle onigiri apprehensively.

Kiba immediately understood why Sakura's team mates were behaving strangely when she announced that she would be cooking lunch. He pointed at the offending plate, "What do we do with that?"

Sasuke started to do hand signs, "Katon-"

He stopped abruptly when Sakura's front doors opened, "Yo!"

Sakura appeared from the kitchen another plate of _who-knows-what_ in her hands. "Kakashi-sensei, you're late!"

The silver-haired man laughed nervously, his visible eye staring at the plate of "**food**" that was now placed on the dining table, "Sorry. I got lost-"

"LIAR!" Naruto shouted his finger pointing accusingly at Kakashi.

"-on the path of life?" Sakura continued.

All the men in the room stared dumbly at the kunoichi. She smiled sweetly before returning back to the kitchen.

Kakashi noticed that Sakura hadn't screamed at him for being tardy.

He also noticed that Sakura looked quite pretty smiling.

Wait. Did she just call his student _pretty_?

Well, technically, Sakura was no longer his student.

Right?

While Kakashi was having a debate in his head, Sai spoke quietly, "If we don't make a move soon, all of us would be forced to swallow whatever she has prepared."

The men swallowed as Sakura appeared again with another bowl of what seemed like green _slime_. Kiba pointed at the bowl, "Ne, Sakura, what is that?"

Sakura grinned carefully placing the bowl in the middle of the table, "This is my vegetable soup! There are over a hundred vegetables in this bowl."

Kiba was close to keeling over.

With his visible eye, Kakashi made eye contact with Yamato sending a quiet message. Yamato nodded slightly before catching Sai's eyes. Sai blinked before tilting his chin to signal the Uchiha. Said Uchiha looked down then looked to the left in the direction of the kitchen. Naruto being the moron was _oblivious_ to it all.

_**Mission: 'Escape Sakura's Food No Matter What' **_had commenced.

"Hag," Sai called out catching the kunoichi's attention, "I have found a reason for your behaviour yesterday."

When Sakura had looked at the artist with a confused look and the Uchiha had sneaked into the kitchen, Sai continued, "According to my research the reason you initiated physical contact with me was because you had a desire to touch me to relieve some of your _sexual frustration_. It is understandable as your looks would make it difficult for you to find a suitable male to engage in wild s-"

Sakura grabbed Sai's collar and pushed him to a nearby wall, _daring_ him to continue. Her viridian eyes were narrowed dangerously and her face was _very_ close to his. He could practically _feel_ her breath on his face. He smiled his trademark empty smile. Which only caused her to get much angrier (he was not sure _why_).

She growled in a low threatening tone, "Time for lesson number two. Sai, you're going to learn another emotion called '**Agony**'."

Sai knew he was threading on thin ice but the Uchiha hasn't left the kitchen yet. What was taking him so long? "Oh? How would you do that?"

"I was thinking of throwing you out the window again. Unfortunately, my apartment isn't as high as the Hokage's office. So, this will just have to do," She lifted her hand and was about to cause him _serious_ hurt when she was _rudely_ interrupted by Naruto.

"Sakura-chan! Your kitchen is on fire!"

Sakura immediately dropped the pale artist, her anger dissipating. She rushed towards her kitchen and tried to put out the fire. The food she had painstakingly prepared was completely burnt and she was sure it was inedible. The grey smoke filled her kitchen, looks like they had to eat lunch somewhere else.

Kakashi walked over to Sai and patted his back.

_**Mission: Success.**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Now, Gaara was a very patient man. Well, Gaara _thought_ he was a very patient man. It looks like he thought wrong.

He tapped his foot impatiently waiting for the Hokage to finish reading through the scroll. It was just _one_ scroll.

From her desk, Tsunade looked up at the young Kazekage. She smirked and proceeded to sip her sake, "You could've sent someone else to do this."

The red-head immediately stopped his tapping and looked at the blonde Hokage, "I could have, but I chose not to."

Temari and Kankuro turned to look at Gaara. They both knew he was walking into a _trap_. Tsunade found this very amusing and continued, "Oh? And why is that?"

Gaara still held his stoic expression as his mind started to panic. "If we are done here, I will take my leave." He promptly turned around to leave the Hokage's office.

Tsunade snickered, "Sakura loves flowers."

Gaara could feel the heat rush up to his face. He ignored the Godaime Hokage's comment and tried to walk out of the office with whatever was left of his dignity.

Strangely, he found himself in one of Konoha's flower shops.

He wondered why.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm pretty sure there was something wrong with that fire. I could sense traces of chakra in the surrounding air," Sakura tapped her chin with her index finger. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Yamato, Kiba and Sakura were all sitting around at one of the empty training grounds. After they had their fill eating Ramen at Ichiraku's –to Sakura's dismay and Naruto's glee-, they agreed to spend their time at the training ground to wait for the smoke in Sakura's house to clear.

Kakashi started to sweat behind his mask. If Sakura found out their plan, there would be _hell_ to pay. "W-What are you talking about, Sakura?"

Yamato swallowed, "It was an accident. You can cook for us _next_ time." Yamato ignored the subtle glares and glowers he got from his team mates. Secretly, he hoped there _wasn't _a next time.

Kiba was pretty sure Sakura would find out. So, he had an idea on how to distract the kunoichi. "I had a great time today, Sakura. But, I gotta go. See you around!" He leaned in a placed a quick peck on Sakura's cheek. He took pleasure in watching her face turn a bright shade of red as he climbed onto Akamaru's back. He grinned from ear to ear and ran off before any of her team mates could attack him.

"GET BACK HERE YOU MANGY MUTT!" Naruto shouted, shaking his fist in the air.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke muttered.

"Did you see what he did to Sakura-chan?"

"..I did," Sasuke mumbled the rest of his sentence under his breath. Something along the lines of _torture_ and _murder_.

"That mutt had _no right_ to do that!" Naruto was now flailing his arms wildly, "Sakura can find a better man than _Kiba_!"

"What? You mean, you?"

Naruto blushed.

Sasuke smirked, "Sorry to burst your bubble but Sakura isn't _that_ desperate."

Naruto gritted his teeth, "Why you!"

Both started to charge towards each other. Sakura frowned and jumped in. She caught Naruto's fist and threw him towards Sai and Yamato causing them to fall back from the impact. With her other free hand, she punched the ground to throw Sasuke off balance. Sasuke jumped back with ease dodging the stray pieces of earth. "Sorry, Sasuke. I won't allow you to engage in battle."

Sasuke scowled before she continued, "But, since I'm your _babysitter_ and you're itching for a fight, I could make an _exception_."

She smirked and made hand signs, "_**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**_."

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction of an inch as he leapt to dodge the fireball coming his way. As he was in the air he felt Sakura's presence suddenly appear behind him. As she was about to land another deadly punch, he used the Body Replacement technique to escape her attack. Sasuke landed gracefully on the ground, "I don't want to hurt you, Sakura."

As soon as she heard those words, Sakura saw red. She felt more enraged when Sasuke fell into a defensive stance and didn't even _bother_ to activate his Sharingan. Sakura scowled, "_**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_." Multiple copies of her appeared and charged towards the Uchiha, their hands enhanced by her chakra. Sasuke easily dodged each and every one of them. Their attacks were useless as they made little craters on the earth instead of landing a hit on him. Without his Sharingan, Sasuke didn't notice that the _real_ Sakura was behind him.

"_**Suiton: Mizurappa**_."

Water gushed out of Sakura's mouth catching Sasuke off guard and causing him to fall back and land in one of the craters. Sakura smirked victoriously. Since the ground had softened due to the water technique, she lifted her chakra enhanced hand and punched the ground. It caused the muddy earth to give way and half of Sasuke's body was swallowed by the earth.

Oh no, Sakura wasn't done _yet_.

Sasuke struggled to remove his body from the mud. He watched with wide eyes as Sakura started to charge towards him. It was too late to try and use a replacement technique and he could only use his arms to shield his face. But the attack never came.

In front of him, now stood a brown _puppet._ Its abdomen was large and round and it had six arms. The puppet leapt and returned to its owner: a man clad in a black suit with purple paint on his face. "Woah. That was close, Uchiha. You could have been _crushed_."

Sasuke grunted and continued to try and remove himself from the muddy ground. The puppet under his control shook violently. Sasuke figured that he had captured Sakura in it.

As if on cue, the puppet master released his hold on the puppet and the pinkette fell into his awaiting arms. He held her bridal-style. "Saku-chan!" He shouted and placed a quick peck on her forehead. Poor Sakura turned a brighter shade of red than before.

"That's the _second_ time today! Get your hands of _my_ Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted in anger.

_All_ the men in the area (Kakashi, Sasuke, Sai, Yamato, Kankuro and Gaara) chorused, "She's not yours."

Temari sighed, "Then, who does she belong to?"

Sakura removed herself from Kankuro's grasps, "I don't belong to anyone!" She lifted her _dainty_ ankle and hit the ground with her heel. This caused the ground to shake and everyone to land on their butts. _Miraculously_, it seemed to have _missed_ Temari completely.

Sakura squealed and ran towards Temari and engulfed her in a hug. "Saku-chan!"

Her team mates stared at each other confused. (Sasuke still waist deep in mud.)

_**Saku-chan?**_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Sorry guys. Chapter was getting _too _long. OTL So, more GaaSaku in the next chappie! But, please continue to vote for your favourite couple if you wish for it to appear.**

**Yes, Shin will _reappear_ in the next chapter! xD**

**I'm sorry if the KibaSaku wasn't up to standards. I tried. OTL**

**See what happens if you guys review? I update _really_ fast. xD**

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**So, click it. U_U**


	6. Chapter 6

-Clearly, not mine. Now, let me wallow in self pity.-

**Comeback **

**GaaSaku: 11**

**KibaSaku: 6**

**NejiSaku: 5**

**NaruSaku: 3**

**KakaSaku: 3**

**SaiSaku: 2**

**ShikaSaku: 2**

**YamaSaku: 2**

**Harem: 2 (naive-toots: I hear you~! xD)**

**SasuSaku: 1**

**OMG. I haven't updated this yet. I'm so sorry for the late update. Life is catching up with me (YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE~!). There was a lot of uhh… pirates and mermaids (or my siblings, whatever floats your boat) blocking my path to the computer. And there was the infamous 'Writer's Block' having a nice stay in my head. I thought it would never leave. T^T Anyways, enjoy Chapter 6! More **_**GaaSaku**_**, **_**YamaSaku**_** and **_**ShikaSaku. **_**They need some love too~**

**Proceed! ~('.'~)**

Chapter 6: Have Mercy

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_If you don't have a _**smile**_, I'll give you one of _mine_._

_~Author Unknown_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_**Saku-chan?**_

"What? I don't get any?" Kankuro whined as he spread his arms wide. Sakura laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, engulfing him in a hug. Team 7 glared at him as Kankuro smirked victoriously from Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura removed herself from Kankuro's arms and bowed respectfully at the red head Kazekage. "Gaara, it's been a while," she smiled.

Gaara nodded his face as blank as ever even though he was fuming inside that out of all three of them; he was the only one that did _not_ get a hug.

"Oi! Gaara! Hisashiburi!" Naruto waved his arms wildly and started to run towards him.

Yamato, Kakashi, Sai and Sasuke (_still _waist deep in mud) nodded in respect.

"What's that?" Naruto pointed at the bouquet of red and pink roses in Gaara's hands. The Kazekage promptly started to turn a pretty shade of red, Temari started to giggle like a girl (which means serious shit was about to go down) and Kankuro nudged Gaara on the back.

Sasuke arched one of his eyebrows questioningly, Kakashi hadn't flipped a single page while reading his Icha Icha Paradise, Sai and Yamato was trying to make sense of the situation.

"For you," he murmured handing the bouquet to a confused Sakura. Her cheeks flushed pink as she shyly thanked the Kazekage. Kankuro rolled his eyes at the couples' shyness. They weren't going to _progress_ if they continued to act like a shy married couple.

Kankuro was about to tease his brother (again), when he was suddenly aware of the cold stares the medic's team mates were giving Gaara. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and sent a look to Temari. She smiled mischievously behind her small fan as she continued to fan herself.

"Uhh, how do you know Sakura?" Yamato tried to break the awkward silence.

"She was sent to Suna to improve our Medic System. Let me tell ya, she made a hell of a difference. The system in Suna is much more effective than I thought it could ever be," Kankuro grinned as he slung an arm on Sakura's shoulders.

Kankuro continued, "It was also after Saku-chan got **disowned** by her parents. Lucky _we_ were around to cheer her up."

The puppet master continued to smile clueless at the fact that Team 7 had suddenly become tense and were staring at said medic. Temari frowned and smacked the back of Kankuro's head with her fan, "You idiot."

Kankuro rubbed the back of his abused skull and was about to scream at his sister when he noticed how uncomfortable Sakura had become under the gaze of her team mates. He cursed under his breath. "Uhh, hey Saku-chan, I made some improvements to Scorpion. Wanna see?"

Sakura's viridian eyes brightened excitedly. One of the things Kankuro learnt about the pink haired medic was that she was quite easy to cheer up. She also had a great interest in his puppetry. He smiled as he unrolled one of his scrolls and released the puppet that was kept in it.

Gaara watched as his brother started to battle Sakura with his newly modified puppet that once belonged to Akasuna no Sasori. He liked watching Sakura battle. Her attacks and movements were graceful, yet if her small fist came in contact with anything, it would be pulverised. He could remember how Sakura had punched a hole in his office wall screaming at him to take a break and eat "proper" food. He had been surprised at her monstrous strength (and her poor ability in cooking). She was aggressive when she needed to be but at the same time, she was caring and kind-hearted. Haruno Sakura was an enigma. Gaara could never guess her next move.

"Sakura-chan was disowned?" Naruto asked, his legs crossed and cerulean eyes wide.

The Kazekage frowned, "Yes. She was disowned by her parents when she insisted on taking the Jounin exams a couple of years back. Her parents were against the idea and they fought. She was thrown out of her house that very moment and disowned. Sakura has not heard from her parents ever since."

Kakashi tore his gaze from the pages of his novel to stare at his female student. She flew in the air dodging an array of kunais coming at her. Her luscious pink hair flew around her. He gripped the book he was holding tighter.

Sasuke closed his eyes as if refusing to think about it. He didn't care about that annoying girl. He didn't. He opened his eyes to gaze at the pinkette. He wasn't sure anymore.

Yamato had not known Sakura for very long. He had treated Sakura as a normal colleague and friend during the time they had been assigned in the same team. Yamato had found himself a little bit _too_ interested in the medic, since they met. It didn't take much for Sakura to catch _anyone's_ attention since she had bubblegum _pink_ hair. But, he had found out a great deal just from watching her. She liked to pour a lot of syrup on her anko dumplings and she always avoided spicy food. She had a habit of memorising new information and punching Naruto whenever he made a mistake. Sakura cares deeply for her team mates. She was always there whenever they needed her. Yamato fisted his hands tightly. He could feel his nails digging into his palms leaving painful crescent shaped marks. Where were they when _she_ needed _them_?

Naruto looked down; his blonde hair covered his eyes. He didn't know which was worse, parents who died loving you or parents who were alive and no longer cared.

Gaara continued, "Sakura was sent to Suna to get her bearings. She was a little… distraught. The Hokage wanted to make sure that the gossip pertaining Sakura would die down as soon as she returned from the mission in Suna."

"We didn't know," Naruto said quietly.

The red head narrowed his eyes, "And you call yourselves _team_ _mates_? Leaving her behind and being absent when your presence was required."

Sasuke turned to glower at Gaara. He unconsciously activated his Sharingan. The two stared at each other. Sasuke found it intimidating that Gaara was not even flinching. He narrowed his eyes was about to send him into a genjutsu when Kakashi stopped him by using his Icha Icha book as a blockade. "Sasuke," Copy ninja warned, "Sakura wouldn't approve of you hurting her friends."

The Uchiha grunted and closed his eyes.

"That was brilliant! It's amazing how much weapons you can hide in just one arm," Sakura marvelled as they returned to the spot the rest of them were resting. Sakura bent down to pick up the bouquet, "I'm going to go back home, now. The smoke should have cleared by now and I have a night shift in the hospital. Sasuke, you should know where the keys to my apartment are."

"Hn."

Sakura was about to leave when Gaara stood up, "I'll escort you home."

The pinkette smiled and accepted his company.

Kankuro whistled, "Gaara's gonna _finally_ make his move, huh?"

Naruto's head shot up so quickly, the puppet master swore he heard the sickening sounds of bones cracking, "Move? What move? _What_ is Gaara moving? What has this got to do with Sakura-chan?"

Temari smirked mischievously. "Oh, _you_ _know_," she drawled. She watched as their eyes widened in surprise and their creative imaginations went _wild_. She wondered what they were imagining.

In mere seconds, Sai, Yamato, Kakashi and Naruto disappeared leaving a struggling Sasuke still trapped in the now-hardened mud. (Poor, Sasuke.)

The siblings walked away from the training grounds with Kankuro laughing and clutching his stomach. "50 bucks if Gaara kicks all their butts," he managed to say in between laughter.

Temari rolled her eyes, "You're such an idiot Kankuro. _Sakura_ is going to be the one doing the ass-kicking."

Kankuro chuckled, "Maybe you're right. But, did you see their _faces_?"

"Team 7 has finally realised how important Saku-chan is in their lives."

The puppet master nodded in agreement.

Temari fanned herself while watching her younger brother, "But, I think, out of all them the one who is most clueless about his feelings, is **you**."

Kankuro choked on his spit as he started to sputter nonsense.

Temari laughed, "There's no point in hiding it, little brother. I've seen how you _look_ at her."

His cheeks coloured slightly while he scratched the back of his head, "Well, yeah. Saku-chan is an amazing woman. But, I find that my relationship as a brother with Gaara is much more precious. Out of all the women I've encountered, I believe that _Sakura_ would be the perfect one for Gaara. Above all else, I want Gaara to be _happy_."

She was shocked. She smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

She'll stop hitting him, just for the day.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What did you mean when you said Uchiha should know where you're keys were?" Gaara questioned suspiciously.

Sakura fingered the petals of the roses absent-mindedly as she replied, "Tsunade gave me a mission to be Sasuke's babysitter until further notice. So, he's been living at my house."

"Your house? With you? Just the two of you?" Gaara squeaked. He was certainly uncomfortable with this idea.

Sakura nodded a confused look etched on her pretty features. He scowled; he had to talk to the Hokage about this. But, the Hokage wasn't someone easy to persuade. _Maybe a little sake would do the trick_, he wondered.

The pinkette stepped closer to him until their arms were touching, "We're being followed."

Gaara raised his non-existent eyebrows, "By your team mates." He confirmed it was them when he heard Naruto's familiar voice screaming out 'Ow'. The blonde seriously needed to practice his stealth skills if he ever wanted to become Hokage.

"They've been back for a few days and _already_ they're meddling with my life," Sakura grumbled, "What do they think this is? Some type of free show?"

Gaara chuckled quietly, "Well then, let's give them something interesting to watch."

Sakura stopped dead on her tracks, "Huh?" The next thing she knew, their faces were inches apart. He smirked as he lean in towards her. Her eyes widened in shock.

But, before their lips could touch, an array of kunais aimed at his head forced him to jump back from her to dodge the attack.

"GET AWAY FROM _MY_ SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sakura's eyes twitched uncontrollably, "I DON'T BELONG TO ANYONE! _SHANAROOO_!"

Temari was right when she said Sakura would do most of the ass-kicking.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsunade sipped her sake as she felt a chakra-infused earthquake shake her office and cause the neatly stacked papers to fall and (once again) cover the office in a mess.

Shizune came running into the office, "What was that?"

The buxom blonde looked up from the desk as if nothing happened, "Call the Idiot and the Uchiha brat to come to my office tomorrow, they need to clear up all these paperwork… _again_."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura sighed tiredly as she flipped through the medical charts in her hands. She mumbled the names written on the charts as she mundanely started to scribble some notes at the sides of the papers. The hospital was not as busy in the night when compared to the morning shifts. During the day, the hospital was always bombarded by clumsy Genins and civilians. Though in the night, there were some cases where small groups of ninjas return from their missions. But these cases were rare.

She had punched Naruto a couple of hundred feet away for _objectifying _her. The pinkette regretted not being fast enough to catch Yamato, Sai and Kakashi that managed to escape.

Sakura turned pink when she remembered how Gaara had almost kissed her. She shook her head as if trying to erase her thoughts on the Kazekage. She convinced herself that it was just a strategy to lure her team mates out from their hiding places.

She taped her chin with her pen. She couldn't help but feel as if she had forgotten something. But she couldn't remember what exactly. Her laundry? Her medical research? Her paperwork? She was pretty sure she forgot something. What was it?

"Sakura-sama. There's a patient in Room 19 that requires your assistance," one of the nurses informed as she smiled sweetly and bowed in respect.

Sakura nodded and started to make her way towards the room, surprised to see someone she had not expected.

Yamato sat on the hospital bed with his legs crossed and his head cradled in his hands. He looked up when he heard the door open. His vision was filled with a familiar shade of pink.

"Sakura?"

Said medic blinked in surprise, "Yamato-taichou? Is something wrong?"

"I… Uh… What are you doing here?"

Sakura raised one of her eyebrows and stared at him with an _are-you-dumb_ look, "I work here."

He mentally slapped himself for his stupidity, "Right."

"Is there something wrong? What are you doing in the hospital at this time?" Sakura repeated, she tilted her head to get a better look at his face. He had dark circles under his eyes and it didn't take a Nara to figure out that he lacked sleep and rest. Sakura frowned. One of her pet peeves was that if people she cared about never looked after themselves properly.

"…There's nothing wrong."

She rolled her eyes and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, "Come on Yamato-taichou. You know better than to keep things from me, especially if it involves your health."

Yamato was considering if he should ask for another medic to help him but immediately changed his mind when Sakura started to look at him with a worried look.

"I… Couldn't sleep. Nightmares," he finally spoke after a moment of silence.

She blinked in surprise. Sakura had heard of this from Shizune and Tsunade when they were discussing about a cure for some serious cases of insomnia. Yamato had a very mysterious past. Soon after he was born, Yamato was kidnapped by one of the Legendary Sannin: Orochimaru as a test subject for his experiments. Orochimaru left thinking that the experiment had been a failure and that every one of his test subjects had died. But, unbeknownst to him, Yamato had been the only survivor and was given the Wood Release ability. Of course, the ability came with side effects. Yamato would have trouble sleeping as his nights were sometimes plagued by nightmares. Even though he had been too young to remember anything, strange images would recur on some nights. During those occasions, Yamato would go to Konoha's hospital to search for medical help.

"I tried this technique on Gaara before. Lie down," she instructed softly as she sent chakra to her hands. Sakura placed her hands on his forehead after removing the forehead protector. She sent her chakra slowly into his body.

She removed her hand when she had successfully finished the technique and Yamato's eyes were starting to close. She smiled triumphantly and was about to leave the room to let him sleep when her arm was grabbed.

"Stay," he whispered softly before falling asleep.

Sakura turned pink when she saw her hand enveloped in Yamato's hand. She contemplated whether she should just leave or stay. She sat down on a chair next to his bed when she remembered her promise to _always_ be there for her team mates. She had promised that she would ease their pains.

Sakura would do anything to protect them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke tried his best to look dignified. Of course, that was close to impossible if half of his body was sticking out from the ground.

He couldn't believe the fact that his team mates had forgotten about him and left him half-buried in the ground.

Screaming for help was out of the option. He was too proud to do that.

He assured himself that his team would notice his absence and come searching for him.

_Hopefully_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

***~The Next Day~***

Yamato woke up to the sounds of birds chirping melodiously outside his window.

Okay, he lied.

It sounded more like squirrels being tortured or how Tsunade sounded like whenever she was drunk and had lost in a bet (again). Whatever _it_ was, it was pretty loud and woke him up. He groaned as he lifted his body to a sitting position. His mind was still groggy and his vision was a little blurry.

He looked around the room recalling his short visit to the hospital. His dark eyes landed on something pink nearby.

Sakura rested her head and arms on the hospital bed while she sat on a chair. Her pink hair was in disarray and covered her face and arms. Yamato chuckled when he heard her mumbling in her sleep. He hoped that she wasn't like Shino, Kiba and Naruto when they were asleep because he wouldn't be able to survive her monstrous punches.

He noticed that his hand was still entangled in hers and he felt heat rush up his neck and cheeks.

He untangled his fingers stared at the pink haired beauty. Yamato pushed her hair aside and traced her jaw line with his index finger. He stopped at her chin and started to play with the strands of her hair. "Sakura?" He called out trying to wake her up. Truthfully, he didn't want her to wake up. Yamato liked watching her sleep.

The Wood user waited for a few seconds before her eyes fluttered open revealing beautiful viridian eyes. She lifted her head and looked at him. He smiled, "Ohayo."

Her eyes went wide and she screamed in surprise. Sakura stood up so fast the chair fell back. "What time is it? Where am I?" She started to look frantically around the room.

Before Yamato was given the chance to answer Sakura started to shout in panic, "I'm late!" She was about to reach for the door when she came back to his bed and placed a glowing green hand to his head, "Everything seems to be normal." She flashed him one of her famous grins before running out the doors.

Yamato chuckled and placed a hand to his forehead.

He noticed that he had slept much more soundly that night than he had in the entire month. Maybe he should visit the hospital more often. Of course, only when a certain medic was available.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura ran in a flurry of pink and red towards her destination.

"You're late Billboard Brow," Ino scolded, her arm linked with Chouji's.

"Sorry, Ino-Pig," Sakura tried to catch her breath.

The platinum blonde shook her head, "We'll be back before lunch!" Dragging Chouji, the couple left the flower shop in Sakura's care. Sakura combed her fingers through her haphazard hair and headed towards the toilet to freshen up.

Sakura heard the familiar bells ring signalling the appearance of a customer.

"Irashaimase!" She called out from the sink as she ran towards the front counter.

"Sakura? What are you doing here?"

"Shikamaru? I'm taking care of the shop while Chouji and Ino are out on their date," Sakura replied, surprised to see the Nara genius. He had grown taller and Sakura had to tilt her head to look up at him. Shikamaru still had the usual ponytail hairstyle and green chunin vest. He had also advanced to ANBU level though he would still rather watch clouds than do anything else.

Sakura noticed that he was panting and sweating slightly. Shikamaru grumbled under his breath as he scratched the back of his head. _Troublesome Ino_, he thought. A few minutes earlier his female team mate had called him about an emergency and had told him to come over to the shop as quickly as he could. Thinking that it must had been something serious, Shikamaru came running from his home. He should have expected Ino had something _else_ planned.

Ino had a habit of meddling with his life; especially if it involved a pink haired medic. The blonde would use strange plans to try and push them together. Just a week ago she had handcuffed them together by '_accident'_. Shikamaru didn't want to think where the handcuffs had come from or what his team mate had planned _next_. Fortunately, Ino's idea didn't go as planned. The two of them had spent the whole day together doing random chores. He had been with her the entire time watching her treat patients. She would scold whenever they didn't listen to her advice and soothe the crying ones. Surprisingly, he had never felt bored the entire day in her company. She was _nice_ to have around.

At first he thought that he would never have feelings for the pinkette.

But, in just _one_ day, everything turned upside down.

So, Ino's plan _did_ actually _work_. Which was surprising since the last 182 plans didn't work so well. But who's counting?

"Ne, Shikamaru? Could you do me a favour?" Sakura asked; her doe like eyes looking at him pleadingly.

He groaned inwardly.

_Matters of the heart are so troublesome,_ Shikamaru thought.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Oh, no._

"Ne, Chickenbutt-san. What are you doing?"

_Anyone __**but **__**him**_.

"Is this some sort of special training?"

Sasuke grunted as he once again tried to wriggle his way out for the thousandth time. Shin tilted his head to the side and stared at him as if he had grown another head. His female team mate was giggling madly while the other started to come up with good reasons as to why half his body was underneath the ground.

"Did you make Sakura-sensei angry again?" Shin frowned giving him a look parents usually gave their child whenever they did something wrong.

"Hn."

"Do you need help?" the girl asked.

"…No," he muttered stubbornly,

"Okay, we'll leave you here. Who knows when your friends would _ever_ find you! What do you think, Takeshi?" Shin replied turning around.

"According to my calculations, that would be approximately six months from now," Takeshi answered while correcting the position of his glasses.

Sasuke started to turn pale.

The three started to walk away from him.

"…Wait!"

Shin smiled cheekily, "Yes, Chickenbutt-san?"

"Help me," Sasuke's voice was barely a whisper. But, that was good enough for Shin.

"Ayaka! Takeshi!" His voice suddenly turned serious, "Get the shovels."

_Kill me now, _Sasuke thought miserably.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

** YAY! Done~!**

** Please continue to vote for the Top 3 you want Sakura to end up with, as I will write 3 different endings for her (cause she's worth it~). ^_^**

** Tell me in a review what couple you wish to see next!**

** And I know some of you are wondering if the Akatsuki would be appearing. I'll save that for another new AkaSaku story. Look out for that one! xD**

** Review peeps~! ^0^**


	7. Chapter 7

-Naruto isn't mine. N'Sync isn't mine. Lyrics of _I Drive Myself Crazy_ also not mine. What's new?-

**Comeback **

**GaaSaku: 20**

**ShikaSaku: 13**

**NejiSaku: 12**

**KibaSaku: 10**

**KakaSaku: 9**

**YamaSaku: 8**

**Harem: 7**

**NaruSaku: 5**

**SaiSaku: 3**

**SasuSaku: 2**

** OMG. Have you guys seen the number of reviews? *0* Theres like uhh… A LOT. (Math makes my thinkerbox hurt.) Anyways, I am certainly grateful to all that have subscribed, placed this story in their favourites and reviewed. I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS! ^3^**

** And I'm going to be starting school at around April? So, I'm going to post as much stories and update as fast as possible. I'm hoping to finish 'Comeback' and 'Sakura?' before going back to The Prince and SIW. xD**

** Then, if I have inspiration I'll write AkaSaku fics! ^0^**

** Well, do people actually read my ramblings? Go on, whatcha waiting for? **

** Have fun reading Chapter 7! ^_^**

** WARNING: This chapter has _hints_ of NaruSaku, SasuSaku, KibaSaku, ShikaSaku, NejiSaku, KakaSaku and SaiSaku.**

Chapter 7: To Touch.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_I lie awake._

_I drive myself _crazy_._

_Drive myself _crazy_._

Thinking_ of you._

_Made a _**mistake**_._

_When I let you **go**, Baby._

_I drive myself _crazy_._

_Wanting you the way that I do._

_~I Drive Myself Crazy by N'Sync_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shikamaru sighed as he watched Sakura from his peripheral vision. The beautiful pinkette seemed to be in a daze and had her famous _Thinking Face_ on. Shikamaru wasn't complaining; he actually liked the view. He could watch her without worrying about getting caught. Whenever she was in deep thought, she would ignore everything else. This also applied to when she was in the midst of healing people. Of course, he had seen this first hand for an entire day before they were able to steal the keys for the handcuffs from Ino.

_How did I end up doing this?_ Shikamaru silently thought.

The Nara genius was clad in his usual ninja attire plus a _very_ frilly apron. Strangely, Sakura was wearing a normal green apron.

"Why am I wearing this?" Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck and looked over at Sakura. She was carrying a tall vase of flowers and only the top of her head could be seen. His fingers brushed hers slightly when he removed the vase from her grasps.

She grinned, "Because I don't like frilly stuff."

"And I do?" He deadpanned.

Sakura giggled, "I think it suits you."

Shikamaru groaned loudly at this and hoped none of the members of his ANBU or Jounin team would catch him wearing the apron. He couldn't care less about how people perceived him. But, the frilly apron was just _too_ much. It looked like little girls and kittens had puked all over it.

The great Nara genius was actually at a loss for words on how to _describe_ the apron.

The apron was _that _bad.

He was placing the vase next to the door of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, when the doors opened.

"We're back!" Ino shouted; wanting to make sure everyone on the room would know of her presence. Chouji was right behind her, munching on his never ending bag of chips. (How is he _still_ hungry?)

"Took you long enough, Ino-Pig," Sakura placed the flowers on the counter and started to untie the ribbon of her apron.

"Did you hear? There'll be a reunion tonight," Ino raised her eyebrows at Shikamaru's attire.

"That sounds nice," Sakura removed her apron.

"So," Ino drawled, "Could you do me _another_ favour?"

Sakura sighed, "What now?"

"Help me send the message about the reunion to all the other teams, please?" Ino begged, "I have paperwork to complete by _tonight_ and I don't have much time left."

"Fine," Sakura surrendered. There was no point in fighting Yamanaka Ino. She would continue to pester her until she gave in. Sakura tossed the apron at her best friend and waved goodbye as she walked out of the doors in search of the other teams.

Ino turned all her attention towards her team mate. "So," She drawled, "How did it go?"

Shikamaru raised one of his eyebrows and removed the frilly apron, "How did what go?"

Ino gaped at him, "Seriously? Come on! You didn't do _anything_?"

Shikamaru placed the frilly apron on the counter (He'll burn it later); "I don't know what you're talking about." Letting Ino know, would mean letting the whole of Konoha know. She wasn't the Queen of Gossip for nothing.

The platinum blonde could only pull her long locks in frustration as the Nara genius walked swiftly out of the flower shop. She looked over at her boyfriend who was chuckling. She opened the drawers and lifted the heavy handcuffs, "You think we should use this on them again?"

The Akimichi heir could only laugh louder.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Such nice weather," Ayaka commented sipping her tea.

"Isn't it?" Shin agreed taking a huge bite of his onigiri.

Sasuke scowled, "Aren't you supposed to help me?"

"Alright. Alright. You're so impatient," Shin complained standing up and taking hold of the shovel. He walked over the half-buried Uchiha and started to dig him out. Ayaka giggled and started to help.

Shin threw a glance at Takeshi, "Are you going to help?"

"I am. I'm _supervising_," he replied easily.

The dark haired boy snorted and continued his digging. Frankly, the scene was quite amusing. Genins helping the mighty Uchiha dig himself out.

Shin impaled the shovel in front of the Uchiha, a little too close to his… family jewels.

"Ne, Chickentbutt-san, do you like Sakura-sensei?"

Sasuke tried to fight the blush that was conquering his face, "Hn."

Shin shook his head, "Sakura-sensei is a nice person. She told me once I reminded her of her team mates."

Sasuke looked at the boy. His dark hair and blue eyes were like a combination of both Sasuke's and Naruto's features. "What else did she say?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask. He wanted to know what had happened during the time he was away.

The boy looked up at him, "She said one had a stick up his butt and the other had ADHD."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura knocked on the doors of Naruto's apartment. Since Naruto's apartment was closest to where she was, she had decided to inform him first about the reunion. It wasn't a surprise that the boisterous blonde still lived in the same tiny apartment.

"Naruto!" She shouted excitedly when he opened the door. Naruto smiled his famous thousand watt smile and moved aside to let her in.

As soon as she entered the apartment, her smile faded, "This place is a dump."

The Kyubi container laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette was about to scold her irresponsible team mate about hygiene and cleanliness when she accidentally stepped on something wet and slippery. She fell backwards and landed painfully on her butt. She yelped in pain and surprise.

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay?" Naruto immediately noticed blood dripping from the palm of her hand. A glass shard had impaled itself deeply into Sakura's palm. Naruto's bright blue eyes widened as he started to shout and run around his house searching for a first aid kit.

Sakura stared and laughed at her team mate's panic-stricken state. She lifted herself from the ground and called out his name loudly to catch his attention. He stopped. His arms full of medical supplies. The bandages were unrolling themselves and covered him in a mess.

She lifted her injured had, "I'm a medic remember?" She winced slightly as she removed the glass shard. Her hand glowed a bright green and she started to heal the cut, leaving no scar behind.

Sakura smiled reassuringly. The ramen lover dropped the supplies and heaved a sigh of relief. He mentally scolded himself for forgetting.

Naruto stepped forward, closing the gap between them. He lifted her newly healed hand and started to wipe the blood away with the loose strands of bandages. He placed her hand on his whiskered cheeks and leaned slightly into her touch. Her hands were soft. Naruto was so close he could _smell_ her. She smelled like strawberries and something else, oh so uniquely _Sakura_.

"Naruto?" Her voice sounded confused.

The blonde opened his eyes and looked straight into her endless pools of emerald as he planted a chaste kiss on the palm of her hand. He quickly took notice at how her face changed to a brilliant shade of red that could rival Hinata's.

Naruto smirked as he placed both his hands on each side of her face. He lifted her face to look up at him. He wondered if she _tasted_ like strawberries. Or maybe she tasted _sweeter_. Oh, how he was itching to take her lips that enticed him so. He bent down until their noses were touching and their breaths were tickling each other's faces.

But, he could go no further when Sakura pushed him away. Her face had turned a brighter shade of red, "I-I was supposed to tell you that there's a reunion at the bar tonight."

She hurriedly waved her goodbye and ran out of the room. Naruto opened his window and watched with an amused smile as Sakura ran down the road at top speed. "See you later, Sakura-chan!"

The blonde knew that Sakura could hear him since, _apparently_, he was loud.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke grumbled under his breath as he walked down the busy streets of Konoha. He was completely covered in dirt. The Brat had helped him dig him out but he had done so messily and had thrown dirt everywhere in his quest to prove he was faster at digging than his team mates. The girl had been smart enough to stop her digging and just watch him do all the work.

There was dirt _everywhere_. It was even in his underw- _private areas_.

"Sasuke! I've been searching for you _everywhere_."

The Uchiha looked up, trying to find the source of the melodious voice. He found himself staring at a goddess-like pinkette. Her face was slightly pink from all the running and she had this silly little grin on her face that he found extremely adorable. Had she been searching for him?

"Why are you covered in dirt?"

What was he supposed to say?

"I… was training," Sasuke answered quietly.

"By rolling yourself in dirt?" She arched one of her eyebrows.

"Hn."

"Anyway, I'm supposed to inform you about the gath-" Sakura stopped suddenly mid-sentence as she was suddenly hyper-aware of her surroundings. The people around them (both ninjas and civilians alike) were staring at them. Or maybe mostly at Sasuke. No, they weren't planning on pouncing on him like how most of _you_ do. (You know what I'm talking about.) They had looks of disgust and fear evident on their features. Sakura's smile fell as people were either avoiding him like he had the plague or throwing him looks of distrust and pure hatred.

The pinkette sneaked a glance at Sasuke, he seemed to be ignoring the stares and was walking a steady pace next to her. For some unknown reason, this displeased the medic ninja greatly.

Sasuke turned his head to face her when she had suddenly gotten quiet. Before he could actually figure out what was bothering her, his hand was roughly grabbed and he was dragged quite forcefully (courtesy of her monster strength) away from the Konoha streets.

"Sakura. What do you think you-"

Sasuke wasn't able to complete his sentence. He stood rooted to the ground. He hoped he would never come back to this place. The origins of his nightmares.

The Uchiha Compound.

He swallowed thickly, not wanting to show his weakness, "Why are we here?"

Sakura lifted her head to look at him with a slightly confused expression before she realised where she had accidentally taken him. She stuttered nervously, "I didn't mean to take you here. I was just trying to… I don't know what I was trying to do. I just didn't like how they were staring at you."

The Uchiha prodigy looked at her, his blank expression in place. Of course, he had taken notice of the deadly stares but he never actually cared.

"You know, Sasuke," Sakura began to fiddle with the zip on her Chunin vest; "We don't care even if the whole of Konoha doesn't accept you. _We_ will. _I_ will."

Sasuke started to stare at her in shock. Sakura's cheeks started to turn a slight pink. She quickly turned around to avoid his heated gaze. As he watched her back walk away from him deeper into the Uchiha Compound, he found himself itching to hold her. To feel her smooth skin beneath his fingers. To inhale her sweet scent that always drove him _crazy_. But, he fought back. He held _all_ his desires back and followed her.

He didn't deserve her.

A traitor like him didn't deserve such a _rare_ flower.

"How many times have you been here?" Sasuke instantly recognised the route she was taking. He could recall walking the exact same path to his house. He saw her shoulders rise and fall as she entered his abandoned abode. He tried his best not to notice the blood that still decorated the walls. Sakura silently entered his room with him in tow. It still looked exactly the same, the same way he had left it many years ago.

Except for one thing.

There was a small little lantern hanging outside his window.

He couldn't remember owning a _pink_ lantern.

"I used to come here every night when you left," Sakura finally spoke as she reached out to retrieve the lantern, "I would light up this lantern and hang it outside your window and hope that you would come back, using _this_ as a guide."

She lighted the lantern with a simple Katon Jutsu and smiled sadly as it shone brightly in the dark room. Sakura placed the lantern back on the window and grinned genuinely at him, "Did my light reach you?"

And just with that simple sentence, Sasuke's self-control melted away. He took a step forward unconfidently, before he gained momentum and rushed towards her. He wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. He brought her body as close as possible to him and buried his face against her neck, "Thank you."

_For always being there._

_For loving me._

_For waiting._

_For everything._

He didn't want the moment to end. She filled the emptiness in him. Why had he left? Why did he push her away? Why couldn't he have _seen_ her?

Sakura blinked in surprise and her face immediately reddened. Her twelve year old self would have died of happiness at this moment. But, she wasn't twelve anymore. She used a little of her chakra to push him off her. "There's a reunion tonight at the bar. I'll see you there!"

She rushed out of the room in a blur of pink and red.

Sasuke smirked in amusement. Now, _that_ was the shy and innocent Sakura he knew and remembered.

He stared at the lantern and silently vowed that he would keep _the light_ to himself.

The mighty Uchiha wasn't into sharing.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kiba sighed tiredly for the umpteenth time that day. His Team had just completed their usual training for that day and he was lying comfortably on the slightly moist ground with his hands behind his head.

He searched the bright sky that was decorated with fluffy looking clouds. Kiba was pretty bored when suddenly; a familiar scent filled his sensitive nose. That enticing scent of strawberries and…

Sakura!

Kiba excitedly shot up from his lying position. His heart felt like it was about to explode; beating erratically against his chest. Unfortunately, Akamaru was much faster and had already knocked the unsuspecting kunoichi down.

He removed Akamaru from Sakura's petite body, "Oi, Akamaru! That's _my _job."

Sakura laughed as she accepted Kiba's hand to help her up.

"Uhh… Kiba, you can let go now," Sakura shook her hand that was still in his grasps.

Kiba felt heat rush up to his ears, "Sorry." He laughed nervously.

Hinata giggled quietly, "W-would you like to j-join us for l-lunch, Sakura?"

As if on cue, Sakura's stomach rumbled loudly. All that running and molestation (caused by her team mates) must have drained her energy. "I would love to but I _mmph_-" Sakura was cut off mid-sentence when Hinata stuffed a baby tomato in her mouth. Hey, that was actually pretty good. Sakura couldn't say no when the Hyuga heiress passed her an onigiri to munch on.

Kiba's lips suddenly felt dry when he watched Sakura lick her fingers clean. He blushed furiously and looked away.

"W-what are y-you here for?" Hinata questioned passing Sakura another onigiri.

"There's going to be another reunion tonight at the bar," she answered in between munches. Sakura noticed Kiba wasn't eating and his face had a slightly red tinge.

"Ne, Kiba."

Kiba turned his head at the call of his name. The next thing he knew, his face was inches from Sakura's and he had a baby tomato stuffed in his mouth. Sakura had just fed him a baby tomato! He turned a brighter shade of red.

Sakura grinned, "See you later!" She quickly disappeared from view after waving her goodbye.

Hinata smiled knowingly, "So, w-when are y-you going to t-tell her?"

Kiba chewed the tomato slowly, contemplating. He hated anything that wasn't chewy but strangely the tomato tasted _sweet_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Team Gai (minus Maito Gai) was having their lunch at Ichiraku Ramen when Sakura arrived. Or rather, Tenten and Lee were having their lunch and Neji was just sitting there with his eyes closed.

Rock Lee stood up from his seat with some strands of noodles still in his mouth, "Shaqula-shan!" He slurped the noodles messily and came rushing towards her with arms spread wide. Neji had predicted this from his team mate and had stopped him before he could get close to the pinkette by paralysing him. Lee immediately fell a few feet in front of Sakura. Tenten shook her head at Neji's over-possessiveness as she dragged her boyfriend's body to the side to keep him from blocking the way.

"Watcha doin' here Sakura? Come for lunch?" Tenten smiled.

Sakura shook her head, "No. I came to tell you guys that there's gonna be a reunion tonight at the bar."

Miraculously, Lee immediately shot up from his lying position and threw a fist punch in the air. "I will be there to bestow Konoha ninjas with the power of youth! Yoshi!" Lee was certainly fired up.

Neji folded his arms, "I'll pass." Not wanting to be bestowed with the power of youth. The Hyuga wasn't a fan of crowds and gathering. The last time Team Gai went to a bar, Lee had been completely wasted and started to dance on tables _naked_. He wished to avoid that, thank you very much. He had no interest in seeing his team mate's… dangly bits.

Sakura shrugged and disappeared in search of her sensei and taichou.

Tenten grinned mischievously, "Well, that's too bad that you're not going. How would poor Sakura fend off all the males that try to hit on her? Since she's the only one that's avai-"

"I'm going," Neji interrupted as straight faced as ever.

Tenten hid her triumphant smile behind her cup of tea.

Oh, Neji. How _easy_ it has become to manipulate you.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'll pass," Kakashi replied; his eyes still glued to his book.

"I think I'll just stay at home," Yamato shrugged.

Sakura placed her hands on her hips. She went through all the trouble to find them and tell them about the reunion and they just flatly _refuse_. No way in hell. "Come on! Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei and Gai-sensei would be there too!"

Kakashi flipped a page, "All the more reason to stay at home."

"Okay. How about a battle? If both of you lose to me then you _have_ to go," Sakura suggested a smug smile on her lips.

The Copy ninja shut his book and placed it safely in his vest, "Alright, who will go first?" Kakashi wasn't the type to back down from a challenge. Besides, he hasn't battled his female student for a very long time.

Yamato looked alarmed, "Wait! Don't I have a say in this?"

Sakura flipped her pink hair back, "One by one? I'll fight you both at the same time."

Kakashi arched one of his eyebrows, "As you wish." He lifted his hitai-ate revealing his Sharingan eye.

Yamato sighed. He had been completely ignored. Why did he even bother trying?

"**SHANAROO!**"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gaara calmly ignored his bickering siblings and tried his best to _not_ think about a certain medic. He had been so close to kissing her! What was he thinking?

You see, Sabaku no Gaara, had virtually _no_ experience when it comes to human contact and emotions. What if he had slobbered all over Sakura?

He shook his head.

"Reunion? Wonderful! Konoha's Sublime Green Beast shall be present and spread youth!"

Gaara lifted his head at the (very) loud voice coming from Maito Gai.

_Reunion?_

Well, wasn't _that_ interesting.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura had a very smug grin on her face when she started healing both Kakashi's and Yamato's injuries. She had managed to beat them both, using Yamato's Wood technique against him and rendering Kakashi's Sharingan useless by throwing dust in his eyes.

"Looks like you'll be attending the reunion," Her voice was noticeably cheerful. Sakura started to heal the fractured bones on Kakashi's arm from trying to block her kick. She had certainly grown stronger.

Kakashi chuckled as he casually flipped opened his orange companion, though he didn't start reading. He watched Sakura intently. Had her eyes always been that shade of green? The Copy ninja reached out and his fingers caught strands of her luscious pastel pink hair. Her emerald orbs stared innocently at him, confused. He brought her hair to his masked lips, "_Sakura._" Her hair smelled _heavenly._ Had it always been _this_ soft?

Sakura blushed furiously from his intense gaze and how he had breathed her name. She stood up causing her hair to slip from his fingertips, "Y-You should be fine." She cursed herself for stuttering and started to make her way towards Yamato.

Yamato had caught the exchange between the medic and his senpai. He threw suspicious glances at the Copy ninja.

What? _Jealous_? No! Yamato wasn't _jealous_. And _no_, he wasn't in denial.

Kakashi chuckled as he flipped to another page. It looks like he has **competition**. Well, nothing the mighty Hatake Kakashi couldn't handle.

Little did the silver haired Jounin know that _Yamato_ wasn't the only competitor.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Sai! Watcha doing?"

Sai instantly recognised the voice and threw his body at the painting he had been staring at, hoping that his body would provide enough cover.

"What are you hiding?" Sakura questioned, stretching her neck to try and sneak a peek. She was crouching on Sai's window. The medic figured that instead of knocking on the artist's doors, it would be faster to just talk to him through the window.

"Nothing," Sai answered a little too quickly. He lifted his bed sheet and covered the painting in one swift motion, ensuring that Sakura would not have a chance to see it.

Sakura pouted childishly and Sai tried his best not to give in.

"What do you need, hag?" Sai smiled his usual (fake) smile.

"There's going to be a reunion at the bar tonight," Sakura replied.

Reunion? He had read this before in a book. "I'll see you, there."

The pinkette had expected resistance and was mildly surprised that he had agreed so easily to come. She nodded and jumped from Sai's window.

Once Sakura had gone, Sai heaved a sigh of relief and removed the sheet covering his painting.

Wild colours of pink and green decorated his blank canvas.

Maybe pink wasn't such a bad colour.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura stretched her tired body as she entered her apartment.

She was about to take a drink out of the fridge when a thought suddenly hit her like an anvil.

Couldn't she have just sent her slugs to send the message?

She cursed under her breath.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

** Well, I toned down the humour and brought up the romance! And I bet it's going to be a hell of a reunion! xD**

** What do you guys think? ^_^**

** Please do continue voting for the Top 3 couples since this story is going to end soon. (In about 3-4 chapters?)**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**Review!**

_**Or else. (Dun Dun Dun!)**_


	8. Chapter 8

-Naruto + Mario + Lyrics of Let Me Love You = Not Mine. _Obviously_.-

**Comeback **

**GaaSaku: 26**

**ShikaSaku: 16**

**NejiSaku: 15**

**KakaSaku: 13**

**YamaSaku: 13**

**Harem: 12**

**KibaSaku: 11**

**NaruSaku: 7**

**SasuSaku: 5**

**SaiSaku: 3**

**Hey! Welcome to the 8th Chapter of Comeback! ^_^ I thank all of you that have read, reviewed and blah blah blah. You all know I love you guys, right? ^3^ I'm pretty surprised that the Top 3 is still Gaara, Shikamaru and Neji. xD It's pretty exciting to see the rank change. And there are a lot of people that vote for Harem, huh? Well, who wouldn't? xD**

**WARNING: Contains GaaSakuNeji (for you hugsfortheneedy! ^3^), SasuSaku, SaiSaku, ShikaSaku, NaruSaku, KakaSaku, KibaSaku and YamaSaku.**

Chapter 8: Blame It On The A-a-a-a-a-a-alcohol

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_You should let me love you._

_Let me be the one to,_

_Give you everything,_

_You want and need._

_Baby,_

_Good love and protection_

_Make me your selection._

_Show you the way love's supposed to be._

_Baby,_

_You should let me love you._

_Love you._

_~Let Me Love You by Mario_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What are you doing here?" Kiba crossed his arms as he studied the blonde. Akamaru started to bark. Kiba had just arrived in front of Sakura's apartment a few seconds ago when he felt Naruto's presence nearby. The dog specialist had figured that since he was a manly man, he should pick Sakura up from her apartment and then go to the bar together. It was a pretty good plan, really. Well, that was until Naruto came along. Now, Kiba and Naruto had a pretty good relationship. But, all is fair in love and war.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Naruto frowned.

"I was about to knock on Sakura's door," Kiba smirked. He lifted his arm oh so slowly and it was about to make contact with the door when Naruto suddenly decided that was _not_ going to happen.

The Kyubi container launched himself at Kiba and they started to engage in an incredibly loud and violent fistfight.

"Sakura is going with _me_, 'ttebayo!" Naruto protested as he blocked Kiba's fist and tried to restrain Kiba's other fist. They tumbled around, right outside of Sakura's apartment, trying to smash the other person to try and reach the door first.

Unbeknownst to them, Sakura had heard the loud din coming from outside her door and had opened it. Only to find Kiba being restrained by a panting Naruto hovering over him. Sadly, Sakura completely misunderstood what was going on between the two of them and decided to close the door as quietly as possible.

She shook her head trying to erase what she just saw and decided her window was a _much_ better exit option.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sai had almost given up on his current painting project. Green was a difficult colour. He couldn't get it right. Her eyes were a peculiar shade of green which had the ability to see right through you. Her eyes were like open books, windows to her soul. You could see her every emotion. Something he lacked and wanted so much to experience.

Her eyes would turn a bright apple green when she gets excited and he couldn't help but stare at how her eyes seem to sparkle. When, you're injured, her eyes would tell you how worried she is. She doesn't need to tell you, her eyes tell it all.

How can a ninja be so _open_?

Sai used to look down on those who act too much on their emotions and not facts. But now, he wished he could _feel._ He wanted to smile, to cry and to _love_.

And it was all because of _her_.

His muse.

"Watch out!" Sakura shouted as she was in midair. She had been travelling on rooftops to reach her destination and was about to land gracefully on the streets when someone had been in her way. It was too late for her to dodge, so, she braced herself for the impact.

Sai groaned in pain and froze when the dust around them cleared and he had a better view of who was literally sitting on top of him. Sai stared unabashedly at Sakura as she coughed and tried to wave the dust from her face. She was clad in her usual attire, a red sleeveless shirt with a yellow shirt under it and a navy skirt which was currently revealing more skin than Sai can handle. To top it all off she was wearing those _damned_ boots! Was she trying to make him go crazy?

Once Sakura realised who she was sitting on, she turned a bright shade of red. Sai smiled and reached out to remove a stray leaf from her amazingly soft pastel hair, "Hag, I would appreciate it if you could control your hormones."

Sakura frowned and smacked his head playfully. Trust Sai to say something like that.

Before Sakura could take the opportunity to stand, Sai decided to take _control_ of the situation.

He slid his arms around her waist and clasped his fingers on the small of her back. He was tempted to go lower, but he still valued his life. He leaned forward, till their bodies were barely brushing each other. Sai placed his lips next to her ear and murmured, "I've read this in a book."

She froze, "What kind of book have you been reading?"

Her alarm bells were ringing and she stood up; pushing him slightly, "Don't tell me you've been reading Kakashi's books?"

"How did you know?" Sai hastily stood up and followed Sakura.

He noticed that her face was slightly red and she was not looking at him in embarrassment, "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't learn everything through _books_."

Sai smiled, "Well, would you like to teach me then? I'll let you take the _lead_."

Her head looked like she was about to combust when she smacked Sai.

He couldn't help it, messing with Sakura was too much fun.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gaara entered the bar with Temari and Kankuro in tow. He took a while to study his surroundings and unfortunately the person he was searching for wasn't there. He frowned slightly and walked towards empty seats at the corner. He saw a blonde woman and a female Hyuga not far from his seat.

Temari warned her brothers to not get themselves in trouble as she walked over to a woman with buns. They started to chat animatedly.

Gaara noticed that Naruto wasn't here too. Gaara didn't actually liked crowds and wasn't comfortable with people he didn't know. Kankuro started to order some drinks.

"What's that?" Gaara pointed at the foul-looking liquid placed in front of him.

Kankuro raised one of his eyebrows, "Japanese beer. Try it."

Well, too bad Kankuro had _no idea_ that Gaara wasn't used to drinking alcoholic beverages.

A little alcohol didn't hurt anybody, right?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke hadn't actually planned on going to the reunion. But, when he was returning to Sakura's home to rest for the day after his training, he had walked unexpectedly into a brawl. Sasuke decided to play the role of mediator and he pulled Naruto by the collar out of the fight.

"Ow! Teme!" Naruto pointed accusingly at Sasuke for interrupting, "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

Sasuke smacked the back of Naruto's head, "I _live_ here, dobe."

The dog specialist stood up, "WHAT? You _live_ with Sakura?"

Naruto slung an arm around Sasuke, "Well, that's because Sasuke here needs a _babysitter_."

There was a moment of silence before Kiba burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Sasuke could feel a vein pop on his forehead and scowled, "What are you idiots doing here? Sakura has already left." Sasuke recalled seeing Sakura walking with his _replacement_. Sasuke didn't feel a need to acknowledge him by name.

"WHAT?" Kiba and Naruto chorused.

When Kiba had left riding Akamaru, Naruto shouted, "We're going to have to beat him there."

Sasuke arched one of his eyebrows, "_We_?"

And _that_ was how he was dragged to the reunion.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome." He took a sip of his sake as his trained eyes roamed the room in search of a pink-haired goddess. He found the Kazekage and his brother at one corner of the room and wondered what they were doing here. At the other end, he found Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Gai-sensei and Yamato-taichou. Ino and Hinata were a few tables ahead of him with Tenten and Temari. The women were talking up a storm. Chouji and Shino were sitting with him.

Slowly, he started to accurately plan an escape route and calculate his chances of escaping the reunion without Ino realising it.

Shikamaru's 'Ino' senses were tingling, meaning the sly woman had something planned. He just _knew_ it.

The Nara genius was close to finalising his plans when _her_ presence completely took him by surprise. Sakura walked into the bar with a huge smile plastered across her face that seemed to have brightened the room up substantially. Immediately, eyes were glued to her.

Seconds after her entrance, Naruto made his loud entry.

"SAI! YOU BASTARD!" He slammed his body right onto Sai, knocking him down. What the crowd wasn't expecting was for Kiba to come running in after him and slam himself on top of Naruto with Akamaru.

Lee, having completely misunderstood the situation, decided to join in, "That is right! FOR YOUTH!" He slammed himself on top of Kiba. There was now currently a mountain of bodies in the middle of the room.

Sasuke calmly walked into the bar and nodded at the pinkette's direction, "Sakura."

Sakura smiled, "Sasuke, I didn't know you were coming."

Sasuke let a sigh escape his lips, "Neither did I. The dobe dragged me here."

She laughed as she started to make her way to the tables where the girls were sitting, "Have fun!"

The Uchiha smiled fondly at her from a distance as he started to help the mess of bodies untangle themselves.

Of course, _that_ smile didn't go unnoticed by some of the more observant people in the bar.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ino hid her smile behind her cup of sake. Ino had always been _very_ popular with the opposite gender in Konoha. But, after she had become an item with the Akimichi heir and had been going steady for almost a year, most of the men had lost interest in her and moved one. Hinata had married Shino a couple of months back and Tenten had started going out with Lee. Now, Sakura was the only one that remained single. Which meant that Ino could play the role of 'Matchmaker'!

The men in Konoha were attracted to her like a moth to a burning flame. They couldn't stay away from her, yet at the same time they were too scared to get close. Sskura was a woman of great strength and respect. Her presence seemed to intimidate and intrigue at the same time.

That was the problem here. The problem Ino was trying so hard to fix. Sakura had absolutely no interest in finding a relationship and was very oblivious to the stumbling men falling at her feet. One of them being her team mate. Everything she planned had backfired! Ino was starting to get really frustrated.

But, she didn't expect Team 7 to already fall for her! Sasuke's puppy dog eyes whenever her back was turned, Yamato's curious stares and Naruto's over-protectiveness. Ino wasn't sure about Kakashi (it's the damned _mask_) or Sai (he was hard to read) yet.

She knew one thing though; she wasn't allowing _anyone_ to hurt Sakura again. So, she followed Sasuke when he left for a toilet break.

"What do you want, Yamanka? Do you think I don't realise your stares?" Sasuke leaned his back on the wall.

"I want you to promise me something," Ino began, folding her arms across her chest.

Sasuke hadn't expected that from the blonde and looked at her questioningly waiting for her to continue.

"Promise me you won't hurt her again."

He frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. I need you to tell me: What is Sakura to you?" Her eyes seemed to stare right through his façade.

"I… Don't know," Sasuke admitted. His stoic façade fell and he looked like a lost puppy, "I don't know, okay?"

Ino smiled knowingly, "I think you _do_ know. And I'm not going to stand in your way. Whomever Sakura chooses is entirely up to her. But, _never_ hurt her."

Sasuke combed his dark hair with his fingers, he would never hurt her. Not again.

Ino continued, "You're gonna need to buck up though. You've got quite the competition."

Sasuke looked at her, "Competition?"

She laughed as she walked away from a very confused Uchiha.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once Kakashi had arrived at the bar, the reunion was already in full swing and he was immediately pulled into a group of people by none other than his (self-announced) arch enemy, Maito Gai.

But, his nonsensical rambling entered through his left ear and escaped through the other. His single eye travelled across heads to find that familiar shade of pink. And he was about to walk towards her, when he was literally dragged into a corner of the room where the other Senseis were drinking their sake.

Well, he'll try again later.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gaara found that the world was slightly spinning and he could barely see who was in front of him. Kankuro noticed that Gaara's face was slightly pink and he decided to leave him to find Temari in the throng of people.

Seconds after Kankuro had left, Gaara decided that he needed some fresh air to clear his head. Coincidentally, Sakura was outside.

Now let me warn you, alcohol does a lot to a person's mind.

Sakura suddenly turned stiff when she felt someone breathing down her neck. Muscular arms wrapped around her waist and she felt someone's body heat on her back. "Sakura," his baritone voice caused Sakura to suddenly feel paralysed. Her mind screamed for her to push whoever was behind her but her body refused to cooperate. He was trailing butterfly kisses down her neck when Sakura realised bright rusty red hair.

"Gaara?"

A soft growl escaped his throat as his hands travelled down her abdomen to her thigh, leaving a trail of fire. Sakura's mind was whirling and she didn't know what to do. Gaara wasn't the type of person to be so risqué. Was he drunk?

At that exact moment, Neji decided to appear.

What he saw was Sakura in a _compromising_ position. But, the two men in the area exchanged looks and a secret message was passed. A silent agreement.

The Hyuga prodigy got closer to the pinkette and trapped her in between the two of them. A single sound didn't escape his perfect lips when he took a strand of Sakura's hair and started to comb it through his fingers. Meanwhile, his left fingers were travelling up Sakura's silky thigh to rest on her hip. He didn't know what he was doing. He just needed to touch her. This angel that was deemed _untouchable_.

"Are you drunk?" She squeaked; her face a brilliant shade of red that matched her shirt.

Neji smirked mischievously, "Maybe."

Unfortunately, Gaara chose that moment to cough violently. Being the medic, Sakura completely forgot what had transpired and decided to help the struggling Kazekage.

"Take care of him, Neji. I'm going back in to find Kankuro and Temari," Sakura rushed in to the bar.

Neji bent down and helped the Kazekage to his feet. He slung Gaara's arm around his shoulder. Which was the stupidest move he had done that day since the red-head had decided to decorate Neji's clothes with the contents of his stomach. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura wasn't able to find Temari or Kankuro in the crowd, so she figured that she would try to search for either of them in the toilet. Suddenly, her hand was grabbed.

"Sasuke! You scared me! How long have you been standing there?" Sakura stared incredulously at the Uchiha. He pulled her arm and slammed her back on the nearest wall. With great strength, Sasuke punched the wall right next to Sakura's head.

He was frustrated, "Why?"

_Why couldn't she see how much he needed her?_

Sakura stared wide-eyed at him in complete shock. He removed his hand from the wall and traced the side of her face. His fingers travelled from her cheekbones to her lips. Oh, how he yearned for her. He leaned forward.

"What do you think you're doing, Uchiha?"

Sai appeared and pulled Sakura from Sasuke's grasps. Sasuke had an unreadable expression on his face before he left. An expression Sakura had never seen before. Sai cursed under his breath, no one was ever going to claim his muse's lips. It took him forever to draw those rosy lips.

"Are you alright, Hag?" Sai turned to look at the slightly red pinkette.

"I-I'm fine," No, she wasn't. Hell, she was confused. "I was just searching for Temari."

"Temari and Kankuro had both left with the Kazekage a few seconds ago."

Hearing the word 'Kazekage' caused Sakura to blush a brighter shade of red, recalling what had happened outside the bar.

"Your face is red," Sai's face was suddenly inches from hers and his knuckles were brushing her cheeks. He was staring at her with an expression that caught her off-guard.

"I-I'm fine!" She stumbled backwards and tripped on her own feet. She found herself sitting on Shikamaru's lap. Oh, what are the chances of _that_ happening?

Shikamaru's eyes widened at the sudden intrusion. Poor Sakura looked like she was about to explode. She stuttered her apology and wriggled about trying to get to her feet. The Nara genius felt his face turn pink, "Sakura, stop. You're making things worse."

Almost immediately, Sakura stopped squirming.

From the other side of the bar, Shikamaru _swore_ he saw Ino smile triumphantly.

Shikamaru placed his hands on her hips to help her to her feet. He stood up and covered his nose with one of his hands. She mumbled her apology. He smiled and tousled her hair affectionately, "Ish Owka." He sounded quite funny since he was pinching his nose to stop the blood from flowing.

Yes, he got a nosebleed. Well, who wouldn't?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto smiled triumphantly as Sakura once again laughed at his joke. He stared at her with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Something wrong, Naruto?" She asked, her mesmerising eyes trapping him.

"Nothing. I just like listening to you laugh. You're very pretty, Sakura-chan," he grinned cheekily.

She blushed shyly. When did he become such a _charmer_?

Yamato shook his head as he took a seat next to Naruto and Kakashi took a seat next to Sasuke.

Sakura turned her attention to her taichou, "Are you sleeping well, Yamato-taichou?"

The men around the table eyed him suspiciously as he answered, "Thanks to _you_."

Sakura smiled and snatched the orange book from Kakashi's hands, "For once, Sensei, stop reading this dirty book."

Kakashi chuckled and raised his eyebrows, "Now, Sakura, you know how much I depend on that book. Unless, you wish to replace it, I'm happy to comply."

Sakura hit Kakashi violently on the head with said book before any of the men around the table could brandish their kunais.

Man, was Sakura getting harassed left and right.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsunade looked up from her papers when she heard the door open and Shizune entered her office.

"Tsunade-sama, I have the documents ready," Shizune handed the scroll to the Hokage and picked up Tonton from the ground. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Tsunade unrolled said scroll and skimmed through its contents, "It's the best option and she volunteered to complete this mission. It's not the first time she's been to an A-rank mission alone, Shizune."

"I know but I still worry. Have her team mates been informed?"

Tsunade reached for her stamp, "We'll inform them tomorrow. Let them enjoy their reunion."

Shizune laughed quietly, "It's surprising how many men have fallen at her feet. Yet, they're too scared to tell her."

The Hokage smiled, "You have to understand, Shizune. Each man has his own demons to deal with. The Kazekage has his nation to lead. Nara is too lazy to try. Hyuga has his Clan to worry about. Hatake has lost too much to try again. Inuzuka gets embarrassed easily around her. Sai doesn't know how to. Uchiha has hurt her enough and isn't willing to hurt her again. Tenzou has his doubts and Uzumaki is content with seeing her happy."

Her apprentice gaped at her in surprise.

The buxom blonde laughed, "I'm the Hokage, remember? I'm not blind to their obvious attraction towards my youngest apprentice."

Tsunade turned her chair to face the village she swore to protect as he recalled her Genin days.

No matter how many years have passed. She still missed them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

***~Later That Night~***

Sakura waved her goodbye as she walked out of the bar. It was getting late and she should probably hit the sack. Her smile faded from her face and she looked up at the sky decorated with bright stars.

Ever since she was young, she had always found the stars fascinating to look at. Her mother would recite the same line to her every time before she left for a mission: _I'll watch over you. Like how the stars watch over us all._

How she missed her mother.

She doesn't hate her parents for disowning her; Sakura _knows_ they still watch over her.

She closed her eyes, a small smile adorning her face.

"Sakura!"

Sakura's eyes snapped open in surprise as Kiba came running towards her with Akamaru in tow.

"Kiba? What are you doing here?"

He panted slightly, a silly smile on his face, "I wanted to send you home."

She grinned, "You didn't have to. I'm fine on my own."

Kiba scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I know. I just want to."

Sakura thanked him as she petted Akamaru's head playfully.

Kiba cleared his throat, "You know, Sakura, I've been meaning to tell you something for a long time."

They were nearing her apartment. She turned to look at him, "What is it?"

_Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Say it, Kiba! You can do it!_

Kiba lifted his head to look straight at her. He blurted out, "I-I want to tell you th-that I l-love y-y-you're cooking. And I'm wondering when you would cook for us again?"

Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Kiba. I'll invite all of you to my house again whenever I'm free. The hospital shifts are getting crazier."

Kiba smiled weakly and waved as she entered her apartment.

He slumped in a corner, a depressive cloud surrounding him.

Oh Kami, he was such a failure.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Yamato-taichou, you'll catch a cold if you stay outside for so long."

The Wood user jumped in surprise. The window next to him opened and Sakura's head popped out. She laughed seeing Yamato in a weird squatting position, "Anything you need from me?"

He laughed awkwardly and scratched his cheek, "Well, I was just making sure you arrived home safely."

She clapped her hands together when realisation struck, "So, _you_ were the one trailing me and Kiba!"

He chuckled, letting his arms rest on his knees, "I'm not the only one here."

Sakura blinked in surprise and looked down; below her, a certain silver-haired jounin was flipping the pages of his book and resting his back on the wall. She smiled gratefully, "I'm fine! You have nothing to worry about!"

Kakashi unstuck his back from the wall and sent his student a smile (or crinkled eye).

"Is something bothering you, Sakura?" Yamato asked.

"Nothing is bothering me, Yamato-taichou. I just have to prepare for a mission tomorrow."

"A mission, huh? Then you should get some rest," he smiled a very charming smile and pecked her forehead. She was caught off-guard and a red tinge dusted her nose and cheeks.

Suddenly, a rock came flying and hit Yamato right on his head, causing him to fall over.

Kakashi grumbled under his breath and dragged Yamato by the collar.

Sakura laughed while she waved as both Kakashi and Yamato disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsunade rolled up the mission scroll and handed it over to the messenger hawk.

She trusted her apprentice to successfully carry out the mission and she was supposed to leave the next day before dawn. The mission wasn't anything life threatening, though it was quite dangerous if not done properly. But, there is always danger in a ninja's life.

Tsunade had wanted to send Yamato and Kakashi with her, but she declined saying that she didn't want to trouble them. Besides, she had to make her _comeback_. She wanted to prove her worth and her strength.

The Hokage sighed, her apprentice was quite stubborn. She didn't need to _prove_ anything. But, Tsunade respected Sakura's decision and gave her the green light to continue with the mission. Nothing could make her change her mind.

_Be safe, Sakura._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Woah! 4000 over words! I deserve a trophy (or a review), yes? xD**

**I took me a while to write this. I have no idea how many times I raped the backspace button. OTL**

**What do you guys think about the _smexy_ and the _fluff_? ^_^ I tried. I really did. ;A; There's barely any humour, huh. Sorry. OTL**

**I say, that the story is finally progressing. By the way****, the mission is the climax. This story is going to end soon in about two chapters (excluding the three separate ending chapters). Speaking about that, please do continue voting for the Top 3 couples!**

**V**

**V**

**V**

**Review or I will... I'm not sure actually.**

**Just do it. **

**(~'.')~**


	9. Chapter 9

-Naruto + Mario + Lyrics of How Do I Breathe = Not Mine. _You don't say?_-

**Comeback **

**GaaSaku: 29**

**ShikaSaku: 17**

**NejiSaku: 17**

**Harem: 15**

**KakaSaku: 13**

**YamaSaku: 13**

**KibaSaku: 11**

**NaruSaku: 9**

**SasuSaku: 6**

**SaiSaku: 4**

Chapter 9: Comeback

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_How do I breathe, without you here by my side?_

_How will I see, when your love brought me to the light?_

_Where do I go, when your heart is where I lay my head?_

_When you're not with me, how do I breathe?_

_How do I breathe?_

_~How Do I Breathe by Mario_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sakura strapped her medical supplies to her waist as she smiled triumphantly. She had packed all of the necessary supplies for the mission. Saying that she was _prepared _was an understatement. She had gone to a lot of solo missions in the past years and she was well known for coming back unscathed because of her healing abilities. Sakura didn't hate going to missions but she preferred to stay in the hospital and help those in need. There was something strangely romantic about healing ninjas that would willingly sacrifice their lives for their villagers.

She walked towards the Konoha gates. The roads were quiet since she was leaving for the mission really early in the morning. She sighed as she turned around to gaze at her village. She was about to turn around and leap to the trees when something stopped her from doing so. It grabbed her ankles and slithered up to her thighs, this stopped her from moving.

"What the-?" Sakura looked down and instantly noticed that the _thing_ grabbing her was _sand._ Or, to be more specific, the _Kazekage's_ _sand_. As if on cue, Gaara landed gracefully right in front of her on a platform of sand. He had a blank expression on his face as he dropped from the sand platform to stand in front of her. He towered over the petite pinkette.

She frowned and folded her arms across her very distracting chest. "Gaara," She said sternly. Said red-head smirked as response before removing his sand from her legs. Of course, he took his time doing so allowing the sand to slide slowly down her legs.

"Sakura," He smirked.

"What are you doing here, Gaara?" Sakura questioned with her eyebrows raised.

"I was aware that you were given a mission and decided to wish you luck," He shrugged.

She studied the male in front of her before she answered, "Thank you. I appreciate it. I'm just surprised that you were able to wake up this early."

Gaara cocked his head to one side, "I do not sleep."

She shook her head, "I'm aware of that. It's just that you were quite wasted yesterday at the reunion." Her cheeks turned red slightly from recalling the incident.

He blinked and realisation struck. He covered the bottom half of his face with his hand and turned his head to avoid looking at Sakura. It was true he had been a little bit drunk (a little?). He could recall _that_ incident but what happened afterwards was hazy. His body must have automatically reverted to its meditative state.

Sakura looked up from looking at her feet and noticed that Gaara was standing awkwardly in front of her with his face covered and slightly red. He wasn't looking at her. She figured that he must have felt embarrassed about what had happened yesterday. But, it was sweet of him to come all this way to wish her luck.

She smiled sweetly before stepping forward quickly to peck his cheek to thank him. He was taller than her and it required her to tip-toe. She stuck her tongue out playfully when he turned to face her with a shocked expression. Sakura waved before leaping to the trees at full speed.

Gaara stood there slightly paralysed as he gazed at Sakura's disappearing form. He allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he started to turn around to make his way back.

It was clearly no secret that Gaara was interested in the pinkette. But, in the beginning when he had just met her, she was nothing but a nuisance. Who would have thought that _he_ hoped that she could become something _more_?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto rubbed his eyes tiredly as he reluctantly lifted his upper body from the very comfortable bed. The light shone brightly through his clear windows and he could see the clear blue sky. He detangled his legs from the bed sheets and swung his strong legs off the bed. He literally jumped off the bed, stretching his arms over his heads.

The Kyubi container walked over to the window and looked outside.

How he missed the busy streets and the noisy vendors. He could recognise some people he had met before he left the village. His thoughts travelled as he started to remember his Genin days (of course ignoring that tiny detail that he was _still_ a Genin).

He remembered the silly missions they had to complete, the hours they had to wait for their sensei. He recalled the stupid fights he had with the Uchiha. The painful hits he got from the (very) violent Sakura. And, of course, there was also the awkward Sai added to the Team. He didn't like him at the start but during their time together he started to understand him better. Sai wasn't so _bad_. Then there was Yamato-taichou and Kakashi-sensei always there whenever he needed support. He enjoyed his time with his team and was extremely thankful that he was able to bring his friend back home.

There was one thing he _regretted _and that was leaving _her_ behind. He wanted to protect her. _Everyone_ did. He knew he would hurt her, but her safety was way more important.

What he didn't expect was to be so left behind when he returned. She had grown much stronger and he wasn't quite so shocked when his feelings for her started to resurface.

She had this aura of confidence and comfort surrounding her. And it lured Naruto in like nothing else (except Ramen). And it had taken quite a bit of self-control for him not to be _so_ over-protective of her. Knowing Sakura, she didn't like being coddled and he would probably end up with a black eye and a couple of broken bones. _At least._

"Nii-chan!"

Naruto's head shot up when he heard a familiar voice call his name. He instantly recognised the voice and grinned widely. Konohamaru landed with a soft thud outside his window and smiled. The Honourable Grandson no longer had his childish features. And his Kakashi-like brown hair was more tamed. He still wore that extremely long scarf though only the tip touched the ground now because of his height. He wore the Konoha headband proudly on his forehead.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto shouted in greeting.

Konohamaru entered the room easily through the window, "Sorry I couldn't see you sooner. I was away on a mission."

Naruto shook his head, "Nah, its okay. How have you been?"

He stabbed his chest with his thumb proudly and exclaimed, "I've just been promoted to Chunin!"

Before Naruto could answer; Konohamaru continued, "Wait. Does that mean I'm your senior?"

Naruto visibly shrunk and he started to wallow in self pity knowing that he was still a Genin and would probably remain a Genin for quite a while.

"Oh yeah. Hokage asked me to pass this to you."

Naruto looked up from his foetal position and took the scroll from his hands. Before he could open it Konohamaru waved goodbye and muttered something about violent girls and training.

After he had left, Naruto was once again alone in his apartment.

He opened the seal and read the contents of the scroll.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sasuke raised his eyebrows in confusion when he noticed that Sakura's apartment was extremely quiet. During his stay here, he couldn't help but take notice of Sakura's habits. She would always wake up early in the morning and the smell of instant coffee would wake him up. She would nod or smile at him before leaving for work at the Konoha Hospital. She had a habit of running her fingers through her hair and biting her lip. He also took notice that she liked to waltz around her house in a pair of shorts and a tank top during her off days. Though, he wasn't complaining.

This attraction towards the pinkette scared him at first. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. So, he just watched her from afar.

It was really strange for him to have these types of feelings. He always thought that he had locked away all his emotions except for his hatred. But, when his eyes met her emerald ones, his chains and locks started to slowly unlock themselves and he got lost in this spiral of emotions.

Don't get him wrong, he wasn't like Sai who was unsure what he was feeling. Sasuke was more scared than confused like Sai. He didn't actually like Sakura during his Genin days though he felt he needed to protect her sometimes but that was because a ninja had to always take care of their team mates. Right?

He found her weak and thought that she was dead weight.

But, she changed.

She made a _comeback_.

She was stronger and more _beautiful_. Sometimes, he could read her like a book; sometimes she had unexplainable expressions on her face. She was an enigma. And he was attracted to her.

Sasuke recalled the time Ino confronted him.

It was the first time he actually felt _vulnerable_. And an Uchiha was _never_ vulnerable.

He guessed he wasn't that good in hiding his feelings.

There was a soft knock on the door and Sasuke literally ran to the door thinking that it was Sakura.

Instead, a masked ANBU stood there, "From the Hokage."

Sasuke could literally feel the hostility radiating in waves from the ANBU. He held his blank stare and took the scroll before nodding his thanks.

He closed the door and grumbled under his breath. Where was Sakura? He admitted that he was feeling a little bit edgy without her around.

He roughly unsealed the scroll.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sai held the unopened scroll in his hand and placed it on the table reminding himself to take a look at it later, since it wasn't so urgent.

He had other things to do.

Sai wasn't usually like this. He was neat and tidy. He _never_ left things for later. He did his work quickly and efficiently. But, now he was _slightly_ distracted. Or, _very_ distracted. He entered his room and sat on his tall stool. He gazed at the art piece in front of him. He had been working on it for a while (since Chapter 7). The paint had already dried and he traced the painting with his fingers.

Sai sighed and wondered why he felt this way. He knew that he didn't actually _have_ any feelings but a tiny part of him would beg to differ. He was rather confused and his large array of books could do nothing to ease his confusion and uneasiness.

He removed his hands from the painting and took a step back to study said painting. The goddess on the blank canvas had mesmerising viridian eyes, silky looking pink hair and lips that could entice _any_ men. Though, he admitted that _nothing_ could beat the original.

He liked the original more.

He paused.

_Like?_

He closed his eyes and smirked as he buried his hand in his dark locks.

So, _that_ was the reason why.

Why couldn't he have realised that sooner?

He read in a book somewhere about that. And he knew what he needed to do.

Sai rushed out of the room and was about to leave when he remembered the unopened scroll. He reached out for it and unsealed it.

He skimmed through its contents.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kakashi was under a tree with his back against the tree. He enjoyed his time alone, of course, if he had his favourite novel to accompany him. He casually flipped a page and continued to skim through the page's content. Okay, so he wasn't _actually_ concentrating on the book like he usually does. It's just that The Great Hatake Kakashi had a lot on his mind at the moment.

The Jounin was so used to expecting the unexpected; he couldn't find a good explanation why he was having such turmoil. In battle, nothing could faze him. He was cool-headed and precise. But, _one_ particular woman with extremely bright hair always caused him to lose his cool.

Don't get him wrong, Kakashi had _experience_ with women (if you know what I mean), he just didn't have the patience to deal with them. They were hard to handle sometimes. The only female he actually tolerated and cared about was Rin; and she was long gone.

He told himself that he wouldn't bother about this kind of things but _this_ particular woman drove him _crazy_.

And she was one of his ex-students: _Haruno Sakura_.

Being with her for years, he had seen her grow up and improve greatly. He didn't actually give her much attention years ago and he sorely regretted that. Sakura had a lot of potential with her precise chakra control. If only he had realised this sooner.

When they had returned, Kakashi was pleasantly surprised at how Sakura had changed. Her skills, her appearance and even her gait had changed. She was more confident about her abilities. Long gone were the days she would be watching behind the sidelines. Now, the Team watched _her_.

Leaving her behind during their quest to find Sasuke was actually _his_ idea. Sai and Naruto protested; but Kakashi was able to persuade them to agree with him. No, he didn't find her troublesome or a burden. He had already lost Rin and Obito. He wasn't planning on losing anyone anymore, if he could help it.

Even if it meant crushing her in the process.

He didn't regret his decision to leave her behind. She was safe. Alive and breathing.

He was happy as long _she_ was.

Kakashi unclenched his fist and stared at his gloved palm. He looked up into the skies and wondered how his team mates were faring on the other side and if they were laughing at his predicament.

"Hatake-san."

The silver-haired Jounin stood up and nodded at the ANBU. The masked man moved forward and handed him a scroll.

"From the Hokage," he said before disappearing leaving no trace of his presence.

Kakashi kept his novel in his vest before opening the scroll. He stuffed one of his hands in his pocket as he walked; his eyes reading the kanji on the scroll.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I think that doing that would jeopardise the mission. It would alert them of our presence and chances of escape would be very low. We would be extremely exposed to the enemy," The ninja clad in the usual Jounin uniform commented as he tapped he table with his finger to emphasise his point.

Yamato nodded silently as he listened to another ninja rebut.

But, the Wood user wasn't actually paying attention. His mind was elsewhere. He placed his fingers on his chin as if thinking as he stared at nothing in particular.

_Mission? If she was sent to a mission, shouldn't her immediate family and Team be informed?_

Yet, Yamato hadn't received any scrolls or messages from the Hokage. Was she sent to a top secret mission? Wouldn't that mean that she would be in extreme danger? He shook his head slightly as if trying to throw out his negative thoughts. He was sure Sakura would be safe. It couldn't have been a very dangerous mission. Tsunade wouldn't allow putting her beloved apprentice in immediate danger. Konoha would lose _too_ much.

_He_ would lose too much.

Yamato hadn't really been with Sakura for very long. But, he had been with her long enough to completely understand her. She was easy to read. Also, she didn't bother to hide anything. Remember that saying about how one's eyes were their windows to their souls? Sakura was a walking example. Her emerald eyes would suck you in like a vacuum. Yamato noticed how her eyes would change its shade according to her mood. That was how he knew when she was in a foul mood.

Sometimes, he would gaze at those eyes when no one was around to catch him. He couldn't resist. Who could? But, what attracted him most weren't her eyes or her physical appearance. It was her heart. She cared for everybody and her kindness would melt even the most evil man.

Suddenly, someone smacked him on the back of his head. Yamato literally fell off his chair because of the impact. He struggled to get back up while rubbing the back of his head trying to soothe the pain.

"Tenzou-san, please _try_ to pay attention," Said ninja scolded.

The Wood user smiled and bowed in apology. He was about to scold him again before the doors opened.

All the occupants in the room removed their eyes from Yamato to look at the visitor. The ANBU bowed, apologising for interrupting before handing him a scroll. He promptly turned around to disappear.

Yamato rubbed his painfully throbbing head as he opened to scroll.

The next thing he did was run out of the room despite the loud threats that were being thrown at him. He'll deal with _that_ later.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Neji took a deep breath and calmed his rapidly beating heart. He fell easily into his fighting stance. With his eyes closed, he waited for the oncoming attack.

But, it didn't come.

Neji opened his eyes and glared at his sparring partner for making him wait unnecessarily. He didn't like wasting time. Hyuga Hinata was already in her familiar fighting stance but instead of engaging in battle she was staring at him with a confused look on her face.

"You _like_ her," she stated simply.

Taken by surprise, Neji slipped on his own feet before falling face flat on the hard ground. Hinata giggled before folding her arms to investigate her sudden epiphany.

"W-Wh-What are you talking about?" Neji stuttered, oh so convincingly.

Hinata waited for Neji to stand up and compose himself before striking. She sent chakra to her hands and aimed for his chest. His eyes widened before twisting his body painfully to dodge the attack. The veins around both their eyes were more pronounced as they used their Byakugan to read each other's movements. Neji leapt from the ground as he tried to land a hit on her from above.

He caught her mischievous smile, "How long have you hidden y-your feelings?"

This caught him off-guard and gave her a chance to kick him in the abdomen while he was in the air. He tried to regain control as he spun in the air. On the last minute, he landed on his feet. Sweat was trickling down his neck. Hinata playfully stuck out her tongue; _mocking_ him.

Hinata was playing dirty by using Sakura to distract him in battle!

Neji stood up and charged towards her; making use of his fast speed. She blocked his attacks, "When did y-you start falling for her? Was it when she started to grow out her h-hair? Y-you always preferred girls with long hair."

Neji's attack started to become more inaccurate when he started to remember her long silky pink hair. He briefly remembered his short encounter with her yesterday during the party. How his hands-.

He flew back from the impact and once again landed on his face.

"I see you are getting _old_, Neji-san."

Neji's head shot up when he recognised the voice. Shino stood next to Hinata; his face completely covered; as usual. Neji grumbled under his breath. He was _not_ old. He was only twenty-two!

The male Hyuga removed his body from the ground. Hinata slipped her hands into Shino's as he whispered to her. She smiled sweetly at the insect man.

Neji suddenly felt a pang of jealousy at the fact that he didn't have anyone to whisper sweet nothings to. Then he remembered _Sakura_. The pretty, pink-haired medic that managed to crawl into his heart and refused to leave.

She wasn't the strongest or the prettiest in Konoha. She was _Haruno Sakura_ with the slightly large forehead and scary strength. Truthfully, Neji didn't have any feelings for her except _pity_ when her team mates left her behind.

He didn't actually mind when she was placed in his Team temporarily. Hell, she was quite a challenge. Neji couldn't understand why she was left behind when her abilities were _extraordinary_.

It was during one of those dangerous missions when he realised his feelings for her. She had gone missing soon after the Team had split up and it took both Gai and Lee to stop him from tearing the forest apart to search for her.

When she had reappeared hours later unharmed he felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest and his… _heart_.

He couldn't understand it at first. Then, he slowly understood that his constant need to have her in his eyesight and be at her side was because he _liked_ her. Or maybe _more_.

Neji combed his dark hair with his fingers as he looked up into the sky.

_Sakura._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shikamaru just stared blankly at the mountain of documents the Hokage was sending his way. How in the world was he supposed to complete such a huge pile of paperwork in one day? He could just skip all the work, but that would mean facing Tsunade's wrath. And doing that on a daily basis wasn't such a good idea if one preferred to have both their arms and legs intact.

He considered his options and decided to choose the best course of action.

Ask someone for help.

Shikamaru stood up and walked out of his room. He stuffed his hands into his pocket and walked calmly towards his desired destination. He had walked this path countless times asking the same person to help him complete his paperwork.

Of course, it could be just an excuse for him to use to meet her at a daily basis when she was around. The pinkette was kind of nice to look at.

Haruno Sakura would happily agree to help him complete the paperwork since she was already used to finishing _mountains_ of documents; courtesy of being the Hokages's apprentice.

Shikamaru wasn't good at telling her his feelings. He felt that he should only tell her when the time is right. Who knew that the lazy genius was a hopeless romantic?

The Nara genius enjoyed the chats he had with Sakura. She wasn't stupid and actually had views to share about. She was effective and efficient in the battlefield and also had an incredibly kind heart when it came to healing others. Who in the world wouldn't fall for her?

He arrived at her doorstep and promptly knocked on the door a couple of times.

He was surprised when someone else answered the door.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru casually greeted the Uchiha while at the same time trying to spot some pink behind him.

Sasuke nodded at him.

Shikamaru cleared his throat, "Is Sakura in?"

Sasuke's eye twitched slightly at the mention of the pinkette's name. He grunted and handed over to the Nara an opened scroll.

Shikamaru stared at the scroll as Sasuke walked right pass him and started to head in the direction of the Hokage Tower.

The Nara sighed heavily before reading the scroll.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kiba didn't understand what in the name of dog food was going on as he tried to keep his balance. The snobby Uchiha had run right past him causing him to lose his balance. He had wanted to turn and scream at him, but shortly after him, Shikamaru followed. And he had not seen Shikamaru run that fast before.

Akamaru seemed a bit restless as he sniffed the air. The dog started to whine as his ears flopped down to the sides of his face. Kiba's companion wasn't an expert in reading emotions but he could somehow sense the distress in the air. The dog ninja raised his eyebrows in confusion and placed a hand on Akamaru's head in an attempt to calm the dog down.

The both of them had been on the way to Sakura's house to ask if she was available for lunch. Yeap, that's right. Kiba was finally going to grow a pair and confess. He had everything planned. Candles, roses and cakes!

Okay, he lied. He didn't plan anything. Kiba wasn't the type of person to plan! He was going to wing it and not pretend to be someone else.

Now, Kiba wasn't the type to just easily pick a woman. As an Inuzuka, he was very picky when it came to his partner. He didn't expect anyone perfect. He wanted someone special in his eyes.

Sakura just literally walked into his life and it didn't take long for him to fall at her feet. Even Akamaru had grown to like the pinkette. At first, she was just an ordinary girl in his life. But, as the years passed, she had managed to grow into a remarkable woman with confidence and strength. She had certainly surpassed her Shishou in _all_ aspects.

Akamaru barked causing Kiba to be rudely awakened out of his daydream about the medic. He looked at the direction his companion was facing and noticed that he had walked right pass the doors of Sakura's apartments. He sheepishly smiled to himself and walked back to the door. He stood in front of the door and cleared his throat.

It was now or never.

And he was planning on giving this his best shot.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsunade should have seen this coming. She really should have. And the headache she was having wasn't helping her. She rubbed her temples tiredly as the grown men stood in her office. Sasuke was leaning on wall next to her office doors. Kakashi was standing slightly behind her chair looking out the window awaiting her answer. Yamato was trying his best to keep the blonde quiet. Sai was silently watching the entire ordeal from the corner of the room with his dark eyes. Shikamaru was mumbling under his breath and seemed slightly distressed.

"Baa-chan!" Naruto shouted trying to get her attention.

That was the last straw.

Tsunade stood up so quickly her chair flew backwards towards Kakashi. With her extraordinarily fast speed, she lifted her table and flung it towards the loud crowd in her attempt to shut them up. There was only so much she could take in a day. The table missed every one of them as they quickly moved out of the way. Naruto was saved by the Wood user.

"Everyone calm down before I decide to throw you all out!" Tsunade bellowed at the top of her voice. The room instantly fell so quiet she could possibly hear a pin drop on the floor.

Her anger immediately receded and she sighed. She could relate to their worry about her apprentice. Hell, she was worried too.

"Sakura will be fine. There's nothing to worry ab-" Tsunade was cut off by Shizune who entered the room panting heavily.

"Tsunade-sama! We have a problem!"

_Crap._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**I'm really sorry for posting this really late. I shall repent. I'm trying my best to write the latest chapter of 'Sakura' at the moment so, please look forward to that.**

**Also, this is your last chance to vote for your favourite couple since this is the last chapter before I end it with the Top 3 favourite couples! :3**

**Do continue to vote and give me reviews. It's my source of energy! Love you all~!**


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